An impressive group of 24 disability advocates graduated from the Texas Partners in Policymaking program on March 29. Over seven transformative months, class members immersed themselves in disability history, systems, and policy through engagements with national speakers and subject matter experts. With newfound knowledge, skills, and confidence, these graduates are ready to make waves of positive change in their communities and beyond. We commend the graduates on their hard work and look forward to their future contributions as effective advocates for policy change.

• Alex Chau, Fulshear
• Angela O’Brien, Dallas
• Aracely Fuentes, The Colony
• Ashley Logan, Mount Vernon
• Brandi Spieth, San Antonio
• Carly Durham, Richmond
• Chassity Sullivan, Cedar Hill
• Christopher Polanco, San Marcos
• Cynthia Guerra, Houston
• Daniel Regalado, Eagle Pass
• Emily Sladek, Dripping Springs
• Jennifer Bailey, Houston
• Jessica Scheer, Texas City
• Jill Reichle, The Woodlands
• Joanna Adame, Mission
• Joanne Huffstetler, Plano
• Kathleen Riojas, Carrollton
• Lacey Adkins, Longview
• Larissa Minner, Austin
• Lisa McWashington, Galena Park
• Lisa Treleaven, Montgomery
• Nathan Chung, Austin
• Ruth Bakken, McKinney
• Tara Tolbert, League City

Aracely “Ellie” Fuentes was nominated to serve as the class representative for the Partners Class of 2025. Ellie will serve as a primary contact and liaison between alumni program leadership and the Class of 2025.

You can learn more about each participant and what they achieved while participating in Partners in the Graduates section of the Texas Partners in Policymaking website.

Leading the Charge toward Change

Each Partners participant creates a disability-related capstone project. Project scopes are defined based on the needs of Texans with disabilities with a focus on increasing advocacy awareness, building capacity, and influencing systems change. The Partners Class of 2025 drafted dynamic advocacy implementation plans to support the realization of their capstone projects in areas such as:

• raising awareness and building community through digital media and in-person formats;
• creating resources, trainings, and toolkits to support youth, educators, health care providers, and caregivers;
• supporting community inclusion, access, and programming for individuals of all ages and abilities; and 
• engaging in legislative advocacy efforts centered on attendant wages, parental rights, transportation, and Medicaid.

Growing Cortical Vision Impairment Awareness
In the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), awareness of cortical visual impairment (CVI) is limited, and resources are scarce. Joanna Adame plans to educate parents, health care providers, early childhood intervention staff, and teachers in the region about the indicators for CVI. Easterseals RGV and the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired have been key partners in this project, helping host educational workshops and assessment clinic screenings.

A Grief and Support Workbook for Caregivers
Accessing mental health services is often a challenge for caregivers. The barriers that exist can include lack of time, scheduling conflicts, affordability, caregiver motivation and energy, and lack of child care. Kathy Riojas, a licensed professional counselor, is creating a Caregivers’ Grief Journal. This free, digital-guided journal will include writing prompts, activities, basic psychoeducational skills, and resources. The journal will provide an outlet for emotional expression and processing while addressing the gap between need and accessibility.

Inclusive Communities: Supporting Neurodivergent Families & Addressing Food Insecurity
In a large metropolitan area like Houston, there is a significant lack of accessible spaces where parents can connect and support one another. Cynthia Guerra is dedicated to fostering spaces for mutual aid and connection through biweekly book club meetings, local meetups, and food-sharing efforts, including establishing a community fridge. To build stronger networks within their neighborhood, increase accessibility to resources, and establish sustainable support systems, Guerra is collaborating with The WOW Project, Tomball Community Fridge, and Next Chapter Book Club to sustain their project.

Final Remarks from the Partners Class of 2025

We look forward to featuring in future blog posts the personal recounts, program experiences, and overall takeaways from members of the Partners Class of 2025. For now, we’d like to highlight a few quotes from the participants about their time in the Partners program: