Tell us about your current professional role and why it excites you.
"Currently, I serve as the New Jersey Ombudsman for Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities and Their Families.
Through my position, I have the opportunity to work directly with individuals with disabilities and their families -- helping them to access the services and supports they need and deserve, and helping to make sure their voices are heard in meaningful ways. In many respects, this has been my life's work."
What accomplishment are you most proud of and why?
"While my years working at the U.S. Department of State were among the most exciting, it has been my work with people with disabilities that has been the most rewarding."
Was there a standout course, professor, or organization from your time as a student that inspired your career path?
"I will always be grateful to the Journalism Department for giving me and other first-generation Political Communication students the opportunity to benefit from what was then (1980s) a new and exciting major. And I will always be grateful to many student organizations, primarily the GW Program Board and the Black People's Union, for giving me opportunities that were critical to my personal and professional growth."
What is your favorite only-at-GW moment?
"There were so many 'Only-at-GW' moments! I remember monument and museum visits, great on-campus programming, and access to congressional internships."
What is a piece of advice you would offer to students seeking to pursue your field of work?
"Get the most out of your studies, AND get the most out of the extraordinary extracurricular and professional opportunities available to you as GW students."
What fun fact about yourself would you like to share?
"I was interviewed on The Colbert Report on September 21, 2006 as part of the 'Better Know a District' series."
