First Former Buddy Club President

[Image Description: Alyssa, Reilly, and I (from left to right) in pool; Alyssa wearing a colorful tropical looking bathing suit with pink, purple, aqua, and blue flowers on it and a ponytail in her hair; Reilly wearing a white, pink, orange, purple, red, and black bathing suit and ponytail; I am wearing a tropical looking bathing suit too with purple, orange, and green flowers (isn't pictured very well lol), blue goggles, and a ponytail in my hair. ] I decided to do my next inclusion interview with Alyssa. A few summers ago, I met Alyssa who is a friend of Reilly's when Reilly's family invited Alyssa and her family as guests to the swim club. Ever since, I have also been friends with Alyssa. Alyssa is a sweet, beautiful, popular, and funny girl and I hope you enjoy reading about her! 1. How old are you? 28 2. When is your birthday? April 11 3. What is your favorite color? Red❤ 4. What is your favorite food? Chicken fingers and hot dogs 5. What is your favorite ice cream fla...

[Image Description:  "SOMETIMES I SHUT DOWN FOR DAYS AND DON'T TALK TO ANYONE FOR DAYS. IT'S NOTHING PERSONAL." in center-aligned white letters on black letter board with wooden border. The image also has a black and white filter. ] CONTENT WARNING: I would like to mention that I am not a psychologist, psychiatrist, or therapist. All content posted on disability advocate/teacher influencer page is for educational purposes with no intent to provide any professional services. Social media should never be used as a substitute for mental nor medical health care advice. If you suspect that you or your child are experiencing any mental health concerns, it is okay to get support. I highly recommend seeking support from a psychologist, psychiatrist, therapist, and/or other professional who is qualified to do so.     Not everyone is being rude when they do not answer your texts and calls. This is called social withdrawal and is sometimes part of anxiety and depress...

TRIGGER WARNING: If you or someone you know are affected by war trauma and/or Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), the following blog post may be triggering. If you need support right now, please reach out to a therapist, other mental health professional, or call the Veterans Crisis Line by calling 1-800-273-8255 and pressing 1 or by texting 838255. You can also  call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, text "HOME" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 if you live in the USA or   text "CONNECT" to the Crisis Text Line at 686868 if you live in Canada.  You can also visit my hotline resources page by clicking on this hyperlink:  Hotline Resources .     Many parts of stories often symbolize something that the main characters are going through in some way. The symbolizations usually reflect and affect the development of the characters. While relatives of Uncle Gabriel think he has religious hallucinations due to his brain damage in Fences  written...

[ Image Description : "A PLACE IS PROVIDED IN HEAVEN FOR ALL WHO LEAD GOOD LIVES NO MATTER WHAT THEIR RELIGION MAY BE.' -EMMANUEL SWEDENBORG" in center-aligned white letters on black letter board with beige wooden border. The letter is also laying on a red, yellow, blue, and purple, quilt as the background] Prompt : " At Bryn Athyn College you will be encouraged to explore your own spiritual beliefs in potentially new and different ways.  Please respond to one of the following quotes in a personal statement of at least 250 words reflecting on how the idea is relevant to your life and why you think Bryn Athyn College is a good fit for you. Quote I chose :   " A place is provided in heaven for all who lead good lives, no matter what their religion may be." -Emmanuel Swedenborg "       From my perspective, I look at people based on the things that they do in their lives because actions define our character. As an advocate for humanity, I am di...

[ Image Description: picture of my brother and I with our Pop when we were toddlers in circa 1999-2000 ] In honor of Alzheimer's Awareness Month, my brother, Richie (he/his/him), and I have decided to write a blog post about dementia together. I have talked a little bit about dementia on my disability advocate influencer page before, but it has been a while. Richie and I used to volunteer in the dementia unit at St. Joseph's Manor in Holy Redeemer Hospital in Huntingdon Valley, PA. Richie volunteered there for five years while I volunteered there for three years. Richie also conducted some research intended for treating diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and brain cancer, which are treatments geared towards brain tissue while he was attending Temple University in their bioengineering program.  In addition, our grandfather (our dad's dad) who we call our "Pop" also fought a tough battle with dementia for six years and passed away in September 2015. We ...