Presenters

I am on the board of Inclusion BC and co-chair the self-advocates committee. I am learning to be a dog groomer and adore my 3 dogs mostly Denver (in picture). I just graduated from KPU with a Faculty of Arts Certificate. I love learning and making a difference for future generations or even this generation. School and family are really important to me.

I am a faculty of arts student of KPU who is pursuing becoming a creative writing major, so I can start on my book ideas. I have been working at Toys R Us for 7 years while helping out Inclusion B.C as a self-advocate for people with disabilities and LGBTQ+ rights. But as a side “job” for myself, I am a doll collector who likes to fix dolls and a Character Creator of 200+ people.

My name is Jenna Proudlove. When I was six months old I was diagnosed with CP, now I’m thirty-five. In approximately the year 2000 my Mom, along with other community members created “Steps Forward” a British Columbia association working with B.C. Universities to place individuals with developmental disabilities in regular University programs. I have an Honorary Certificate of Social Work after completing 5 years at the University of Victoria. My Mom’s determination for me to lead a typical life led me to University and ultimately now – as I have been an advocate since the age of 10. When I was 17, I created a program called VOCYL, a youth leadership group formed to educate the community on how to integrate people with special abilities alongside typical people. My Mom was my greatest advocate which inspired me to become one as well. In order to do this, I felt I needed to get an education. So, having an education opened doors for me to be a teacher and speaker and mentor so others like me would see their worth and their power to be “overcomers” like me.

Lauren Matthews is the Director of BC Inclusive Post-Secondary Education and overseas coordination between campuses, staff learning, professional development, and the day-to-day safeguarding of best practices in supporting students to get the most out of their post-secondary education. Her work includes collaborations with family groups, local school districts, and applicants interested in pursuing their post-secondary education with support from STEPS Forward. Lauren collaborates and coordinates with provincial, federal, and international movements and professional associations in implementing and promoting a better understanding of inclusion on campuses. Previous to her role as Director of Inclusive Post-Secondary, Lauren was STEPS Forward Provincial Campus Coordinator, and Senior Inclusion Facilitator at Simon Fraser University.

Marta Carlucci is an Inclusion Liaison working on a STEPS Forward initiated project with the support of the Vancouver Foundation to scale the impact of inclusive post-secondary education beyond campus communities. As a family member herself Marta knows the value of empowering families and community members to further break down barriers to equitable lifelong inclusion for people with developmental disabilities. Marta has worked as Program Advisor for the Advocate for Service Quality, a Family Support and Volunteer Engagement Coordinator at The Family Support Institute, a Facilitator and is a Partner at Hive & House Consulting. Marta holds a degree in Community Rehabilitation from the University of Calgary.

Colton Sterling-Moses is a young Indigenous man from the N’lakapmux and Syilx people in Merritt, BC. Colton is a pow-wow dancer, a traditional hand-drummer and a knowledge keeper for his Nations. He is a role-model and an advocate for Indigenous people and youth with disabilities.

Colton works hard to keep his culture, language and traditions alive! He currently works part-time as a Cultural Support Worker with Feel the Beat and serves as a Self-Advocate for the Transitioning Youth with Disabilities to Employment (TYDE) Project.

I completed high school in 2016. In 2017, I spent a year at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in the APPD program. I am currently working at the Langley School Board Office.

Shameera is twenty-three years old. She just finished her fourth year in the Steps Forward Program at UBCO and she is looking forward to her fifth and final year this coming fall.

In 2018, Shameera trained for and participated in the Special Olympics National Games which were held in Antigonish Nova Scotia. She won a Silver and three personal bests! This year, she was hoping to qualify for the Special Olympics Provincial Games but due to Covid 19, all Special Olympic sports are on hold. She continues to be active in the community: pursing art attending both Cool Arts in Kelowna and the Creative Room in Lake Country. This past year Shameera said good bye to the wonderful folks at the DQ in Lake Country. She began a new part time position at Any Time Fitness, a local gym. She combines working out and employment three days a week. Shameera is very excited by this new opportunity. Shameera also looks forward to the weekly dances at Parkinson Rec. and hanging out with friends.

My name is Aidan Leon Schmidt, I am a 17-year-old student attending St John Brebeuf regional secondary school, and I am currently trying to find a job for my future. Some of my current hobbies are playing Nintendo video games, with trying to extend to games on the Sony “PlayStation”, I also enjoy AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” and I also started a recent hobby of collecting “Transformers”, though the latter of the three is currently slow. I have also been part of the “Royal Canadian Air Cadets” since late 2015, and I have remained part of the organization ever since, I also have ascended to a higher rank than when I started, as I currently rank in a Sgt position, with my duties consisting of showing a good example to other cadets, and help out others when needed.

I would like a job position, as it will help me prepare for my future, helping me save enough funds to pay for a college tuition, so that I can hopefully reach an accountant course, and get a degree in accounting, and I also would enjoy a position so that I would be able to purchase items that I desire such as the “PlayStation 5,” or even regular purchase, such as food or clothing. A job position would benefit me greatly, as it can also give me skills that I would be able to use outside of the working environment, and teach me important life lessons for my life, the IMPACT program was a help with my pursuit with a job, and I hope that it can also help others achieve their goals as it has begun to help me.

Hello, my name is Jamie Beattie and I am 19 years old and I am autistic. My hobbies include attending hockey games and playing hockey at home. I also attend football and soccer games. I also enjoy bowling and spending time at the movies. I love going on the sky-train and often go to the airport to watch planes take off and land. I also like to go to waterfront station and take the sea-bus to North Vancouver and I often have lunch at McDonalds where I order a 10-nugget meal deal. I recently graduated high school from Frank Hurt Secondary. I enjoy volunteering at Quest where I stock shelves and help customers. I plan to go to college and take some courses in food service industry as I enjoy cooking meals. I love pets and have a cat named “Mischief”. I love spending time with my family and playing games together. I look forward to my future as I believe I can achieve anything I decide and put the hard work in and never give up. I love traveling and have been to many countries all over the world and often go to my other home in the Philippines. I look forward to having the world back to normal prior to Covid as I miss going to my sporting events and travelling and not having to always wear a mask everywhere. I hope the vaccines will work and cure everyone and nobody else has to get sick or die as this makes me very sad. I can’t wait for everyone to be healthy and where the world is once again a safe place to explore and travel. Thank-You.

Jamie Beattie.

My name is Amardeep, I like to type on the computer on my free time, another thing I like doing is watch TV. I would also prefer doing something than doing nothing.