Join us for the 12th annual STEAM Career Showcase for Students with Disabilities – a free event for learners in grades 6–12. Connect with role models with disabilities who have thriving careers in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM). Learn about their personal journeys and strategies for success. Gain practical knowledge that you can apply to your interests and future career paths.
ASL interpretation and live captions will be provided for welcome, keynote presentation, and breakout sessions. Registration is required for this event.
Schedule
9:30am: Doors Open & Check In
10:00am: Welcome
10:15am: Keynote Presentation with Q&A
11:00am – 12:30 pm: Opportunity Fair with Exhibitors
Noon – 12:30pm: Breakout Sessions with Speakers
Keynote Presenter
Em Kibler
Communications & Compliance Director at Alliance of Disability Advocates
A disability advocate, writer, and multidisciplinary artist based in Durham, Em’s work is rooted in advocacy and the power of authentic storytelling.
At ADA, Em helps elevate the disability justice movement via education and empowerment, ensuring all members of the disability community are given the freedom to write their own stories.
Speakers
Ted Buckner
Senior Technical Writer at SAS
Carving out a career with a triangle-based world leader in analytics, Ted will discuss how he’s lived with progressive neuropathy, while also becoming an avid cyclist, race organizer, and musician.
Bryan Rusch
PhD Candidate in Art History at Duke University
Born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), Rusch studied mechanical engineering and surgical tool design and is currently completing a PhD focused on North Carolina’s medical history. For over a decade, he has been involved in Duke and Durham disability community advocacy.
Lacey Roy
Neurosociology Student at UNC Chapel Hill
Struggling in school before being diagnosed with Audiological Processing Disorder and gaining accessibility tools, Lacey now studies at a top-tier institution. Her research, with Dr. Natasha Parikh, examines how culture affects whether a dream/goal is considered possible or not.
Opportunity Fair Exhibitors
Ablr
Arts Access North Carolina
Catalyst Program at NCSU
Lenovo
Museum of Life and Science
NC ABLE Program
Sarah P. Duke Gardens
State Library of North Carolina
Virtual Option
For those unable to join us in person, the welcome and keynote speeches will be livestreamed on YouTube. If you have a YouTube account, sign in and click the “Notify Me” button to receive a notification when we go live.
