Last week, I had the distinct privilege to speak to the attendees at the Maine Department of Education’s Transition Maine “I Belong” Youth Summit through my work at Derek Schmitz: Advocacy!

The atmosphere was vibrant and full of energy. It truly filled my heart with joy to see the faces of students taking in the endless possibilities of the future—a future they are free to define however they wish. It was also incredible to watch educators absorb the information to help their students.

I was honored, as the first keynote speaker, to help set the tone for the day. My speech, entitled “A Self-Advocate’s Guide to Transition,” focused on the importance of community and provided information and resources that are often lesser-known, like Vocational Rehabilitation and Centers for Independent Living. I also mentioned the phenomenal work of the folks at Generation Patient and Global Healthy Living Foundation/CreakyJoints as resources for these transitioning students.

While at the event, I was interviewed by multimedia journalist Caroline LeCour and featured on NEWS CENTER Maine. The story I was quoted in is linked here.

This event was truly incredible and a one-of-a-kind experience I’ll never forget. Can’t wait to see what the Transition Maine team does next!