The Dinah F. B. Cohen DREAM Fellowship Program – run by the National Disability Mentoring Coalition (NDMC) in partnership with Disability Rights, Education, Activism and Mentoring (DREAM) – provides college students and recent graduates with disabilities with professional skills and leadership development opportunities. Thanks to the generous support from GEICO, this year the fellowship expanded from two to a cohort of ten fellows.
Through this program, the fellows will:
- Develop leadership and professional skills
- Understand mentoring as a disability inclusion strategy; and
- Expand their network to impact career development and access to opportunities.
We’re pleased to introduce the 2022 Dinah F. B. Cohen DREAM Fellows!
Meet the 2022 Dinah F. B. Cohen DREAM Fellows
Kadaline Jackel
Kadaline is a graduate student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, studying Forensic Psychology. She graduated summa cum laude from Hofstra University, where she studied Psychology. Additionally, Kadaline co-founded and led the Hofstra chapter of DREAM. Upon graduating from John Jay, she hopes to pursue a J.D., with which she will continue her disability advocacy. When she is not studying or advocating for inclusivity and accessibility, Kadaline crochets and spends time with her cat (and best friend), Tater. She looks forward to working with this year’s Dinah F.B. Cohen DREAM fellows!
Jonathan Atiencia
Jonathan was in the Temple Student Government Parliament as a representative for the Disability Resources & Services. He works as a coach/mentor for young adults with intellectual disability & autism, an authentic college experience in the Leadership & Career Studies Program at the Temple University Institute on Disabilities College of Education & Human Development. Jonathan is a Disability Activist and a Commissioner for the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities at City Hall Philadelphia. He currently attends Delaware County Community College after transferring from Temple University, majoring in Liberal Arts.
Jayden Gutierrez
Jayden is a disabled student at American River College from Sacramento, CA. He aspires to create a movement of peer-led disabled young adults in the community college system who raise each other up and advocate for their rights. He has worked as a professional peer in the mental health field, fostered camaraderie in the LGBT community as the GSA President of his college, and is pursuing multiple degrees in social services to work with the Deaf/HoH community. He enjoys writing, reading supernatural fiction, and spending time with his two cats, Riley and Emery.
Abdurazak Abdu
Abdu is a recent graduate with a J.D. He also has LL.B and LL.M degrees. Abdu is enthusiastic to use the skills gained from law school to advance disability rights particularly in the field of employment and education. He has lived and worked in Africa and Asia. Abdu is a good team player with a diverse and multicultural background. Currently, he is searching for a job while getting ready for the bar exam.
Hadley Kronick
Hadley is from Baton Rouge, LA and is currently a sophomore at Wellesley College, majoring in Neuroscience with a possible minor in Studio Arts. Helping others has always been her passion. She hopes to educate herself and become a useful resource for many through this program. Hadley has worked with many different groups to advocate for those with disabilities, including the Epilepsy Foundation, where she participated in a program called “Teens Speak Up”and later became an Awareness Ambassador, and the Danny Did Foundation. She is an experienced leader and public speaker, as well as an open-minded person who is always looking to learn.
Rebecca Dodgson
Rebecca is a senior at Williams College studying English, Political Science, and Justice and Law Studies. She works in her community to foster disability identity and accessibility. To that end, Rebecca founded Williams Disabled Student Union, where she serves as President. Rebecca was the first Accessibility Peer Advisor in the Williams College Career Center and the first Accessibility Consultant at TurnUp Activism. She has received the National ADA Symposium Stipend to attend various conferences on accessible design and disability law. In her free time, Rebecca enjoys training her service dog and playing board games.
Brelynn Bille
Brelynn is a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, double-majoring in community and nonprofit leadership and political science. She hopes to one day become a lobbyist for disability rights and civil rights organizations, using her knowledge of public policy and administrative burdens to assist policymakers in developing legislation that brings greater autonomy, access, and equitable outcomes to disabled individuals and those with other marginalized identities. When Brelynn isn’t in class or working, she enjoys reading, watching documentaries, knitting, or being with her dogs!
Julia Lee Harter
Julia is a writer and communications professional with a passion for disability inclusion. She recently graduated with a Bachelors of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin, and she has continued to live in Austin since. Currently, Julia works in communications for Google where she writes originally reported articles and preps executive communications. In her work, she often focuses on accessibility and disability advocacy with some highlights including interviewing a Paralympian, introducing new accessibility features, and sharing her own experiences as a chronically ill person.
Romitta Hoff
Romitta is a passionate researcher and consultant striving to create meaningful societal and environmental change. She has attained her bachelor’s and master’s degree in Social Work and has extensive knowledge of people and social constructs. Romitta is also an executive board member of a Maryland non-profit called “A Healthier You.” This organization promotes holistic wellness and provides services to underrepresented communities across Prince George’s County. Romitta hopes to continue advocating for individuals in need of support.
Henry Morgan
Henry is a student activist in the five college area in western Massachusetts, where he has worked for social change as student senator, grassroots organizer and committed citizen. He is driven by a vision of a world in which the values of equality and informed consent of the governed allow for people to live and work in collaboration with one another. He has worked on the implementation of peer-led mobile crisis response programs in municipal governments, student debt related legislative advocacy and harm reduction campaigns.
The fellows are working collaboratively on two projects to advance inclusive mentoring. One group is focusing on inclusive higher education, and one group is focusing on the importance of mentorship at life transition points.
Support the Fellowship
We’re looking forward to seeing what our fellows achieve! If you would like to support the Dinah F. B. Cohen DREAM Fellowship Program, please consider making a donation.
If you’d like to learn more about the fellowship and ways to get involved as a volunteer, please email Nicole Homerin at nhomerin@pyd.org.