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DO-IT Scholar Profile: Dustine

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    [LIGHT INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC]
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    SHERYL BURGSTAHLER: Hello,
    I'm Sheryl Burgstahler,
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    and I direct the DO-IT Center--
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    Disabilities, Opportunities,
    Internetworking and Technology.
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    And in that center, we
    have numerous programs
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    funded by different agencies,
    and the sole purpose
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    is to increase the
    success of people
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    with disabilities,
    particularly in college
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    onto careers but
    everything else.
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    In DO-IT's Scholars
    program, we've kind of
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    become like an extended family.
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    One of our DO-IT
    Scholars, Dustine,
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    started the program in 2013.
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    DUSTINE: My name is Dustine,
    and I'm a student here
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    at the University of
    Washington School of Law,
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    pursuing a Juris Doctor degree,
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    hoping to graduate in June 2024.
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    From the classes, what I've
    learned is learning how to--
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    well, one of the big things
    is to be a self-advocate.
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    You've got to
    advocate for yourself.
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    I joined DO-IT when I was
    a junior in high school.
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    So that was around
    spring time, 2013.
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    I went back to DO-IT
    the following summer.
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    It became somewhat of a
    summer tradition for me
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    at least because I went
    back to summer study,
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    helped out as a member
    of the staff for--
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    through, I think,
    summer 2018,
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    which was right around the time
    I graduated undergraduate
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    at the University of Washington.
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    One thing that has me coming
    back to DO-IT all these years
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    is just knowing that it's
    kind of where my roots are,
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    especially as a person
    with a disability, Asperger syndrome,
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    or autism spectrum
    disorder as it's now known.
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    But also just knowing
    that with DO-IT,
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    it's also where I first
    learned about disability rights
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    and history.
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    And so in undergrad I took up
    disability studies as my minor
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    along with Law,
    Societies and Justice,
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    and Political
    Science as my majors.
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    But with disability
    studies, I was able to get
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    more and more
    involved with knowing
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    about those types--
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    that type of history.
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    And so it actually
    influenced the type of law
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    that I want to practice today,
    which is disability rights.
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    [MARCHING BAND PLAYING]
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    Several activities that I've
    done over the years
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    of me being undergrad at least--
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    first and foremost,
    the Husky Marching Band.
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    I was actually in the marching
    band as a member of the piccolo section
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    all four years.
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    ["TEQUILA" SUNG IN UNISON]
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    I worked at the Commuter and
    Transfer Commons in the HUB
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    during my junior
    and senior years,
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    being there for anyone who has
    any questions or inquiries.
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    It's a huge honor to be
    selected for the Husky 100.
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    I looked at my phone.
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    I saw an email and it says,
    "Congratulations, you just
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    got selected for the Husky 100."
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    And I was just like--
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    I was like-- I was like this.
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    I was like, I can't
    even believe it.
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    I can't even believe
    I got nominated for--
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    I got selected
    for the Husky 100.
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    This past summer, I interned at
    Washington Civil and Disability Advocate
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    The first-year law
    school students, they have a class
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    called Legal Analysis, Research and Writing,
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    or LARW for short.
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    And so I was able to take what
    I've learned from that class
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    during my first year
    here at law school
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    and to apply it towards
    drafting motions,
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    basically asking the
    court to do something
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    in favor of your clients.
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    The DO-IT community has been
    incredibly supportive of me.
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    They've been there
    whenever I needed help
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    with getting accommodations
    in undergrad.
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    They've been there for
    me whenever I needed help
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    with personal statements and
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    even if I just needed to talk to someone.
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    So I want to give back.
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    And that's and being able to be a,
    being a disability rights attorney
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    and hopefully causing
    societal change for the good
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    would allow me to give back
    to the disability community.
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    One of my first friends
    that I met at DO-IT
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    is someone who has a
    vision-related disability.
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    And so over time,
    I've gotten the chance
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    to get to know her and have
    conversations with her.
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    Having that type of
    connection does kind of,
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    I guess, does kind of like bring,
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    I guess really increase my
    motivation to become more,
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    I guess, aware and to educate
    myself around those things.
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    And that has also
    been impactful.
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    I just wanted to express
    a moment of gratitude
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    for all of my mentors,
    my friends, family members
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    and my parents for helping me
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    get to where I'm at right now.
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    Thank you for all that
    you've done for me.
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    DO-IT, you are an inspiration.
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    You are an inspiration.
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    And I'm very fortunate to
    be a part of that, be a part of that group.
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    And I hope I'm
    making you all proud.
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    I really do.
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    [LIGHT INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC]
Title:
DO-IT Scholar Profile: Dustine
Description:

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Video Language:
English
Team:
DO-IT
Duration:
05:40

English subtitles

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