As our staff here in Disability Services starts wrapping up the summer and getting into the mindset of the new academic year, we’ve been reflecting on the joy from our March 24th Award Ceremony. Below, you will find entries detailing all of our esteemed recipients.

 

The first award we gave out was our ACCESS award. These awards are given to staff and faculty across campus who go above and beyond in providing access to anyone at Ball State. Accessibility, and advocation for accessibility, is not just limited to the Office of Disability Services. We have a responsibility to prioritize any necessary accommodations and treat our students with disabilities equitably. We have the honor of giving this award to five individuals across our campus this year.

Katie Colip works in academic advising, and she is our go-to person. Katie is extremely aware of issues related to disabilities, and does a great job at addressing those problems and referring students to us that might not have found us otherwise.

Mac Cook is our amazing graduate assistant in the office. For the past two years, Mac has served our office diligently and loyally. Mac goes above and beyond with her responsibilities, and takes other duties assigned in stride, even if she doesn’t know everything about it yet. In addition to her work in office, Mac has spent time researching Emotional Support Animals (ESA) to better our understanding of them and the impact ESA’s have at school and on an individual. 

Mike Hill and Kevin Limle are our dear friends in the transportation office. We offer a shuttle to individuals with disabilities to move around campus, and these two have done an excellent job in developing policies for the disability-related shuttle, as well as have maintained effective communication as we create and share lists of individuals who need the service, and what locations can be accessed through the shuttle. During summer bridge, these two have the opportunity to work with our specific summer bridge program and develop relationships with our students, including making inside jokes that continue on through the semester. What’s better than having a familiar person be in your corner supporting you?

Emily Karas is an Assistant Director over at the Career Center, and in our office, we call her the Queen of the Career Center. She is keenly aware of access issues and has partnered with our office, as well as specifically with Dr. Jarrett for a project over at Eskenazi. Emily advocates for accessibility over at her office and is always referring students to us so they can get the accommodations they need to succeed here at Ball State. 

Gail Werner is the Executive Writer for our President. She is always thinking big picture about accessibility at our school, and how departments across campus can collaborate with our office. Gail also shares stories about our students on a large stage, so they can get the recognition they deserve for their accomplishments.

 

Following the ACCESS awards was the Accessible Teacher award. When we give this out, we emphasize that just because a class is made accessible to all students doesn’t mean it is made easy. Dusty Rademacher from Social Work won this award because she goes above and beyond in making her classes accessible. Making classes accessible can mean many things, such as the physical layout of the classroom, access to class slides and notes, accessible technology, and an understanding approach to all students. Dusty has done all of these, and more, and was given the award by James Nichols, one of her current students.

 

For the past 11 years, Tom Kraska and his family have provided generous gifts to Ball State, specifically as scholarships, The Laura J. Kraska Award, to students with visual disabilities. Their daughter, Laura, had low vision and received her Bachelor’s degree in 1990 and her Master’s degree in 1993 in Information and Communication Sciences at Ball State. During her time here, she benefited greatly from the services provided by our office. In Laura’s memory, students with visual disabilities were selected for this award based on academic performance and activity in the BSU community. To present each individual, the Kraska family members came up to the stage.

Maddie Icenogle is a first-year student and has a 3.5 GPA. As a geography major with a tourism and human geography concentration, Maddie made the Dean’s list for the fall semester. With regard to the Ball State community, Maddie is heavily involved in the women’s ministry team at the Christian Campus House and has secured an internship with a local blind travel agent. This travel agent leads tours and advocates for people with disabilities worldwide, and Maddie will now have the chance to do the same. 

Nick Baumgartner is a doctoral student in the educational studies major, with a 3.6 GPA. He is the manager of the Disability Accessibility Services in our Accessible Technology Lab. In addition to his own classes and manager role, Nick teaches special education classes to undergraduate students. In his free time, Nick is an amazing chess player and dog dad to Tucker, who is featured in his picture. 

The full name of the next award is the Adrienne Paige Gilbert Scholarship. Annually, Jeff and Kay Gilbert give this award in memory of their daughter who touched everyone she met in her four months of life. The intent of this scholarship is that it will allow others with disabilities to further their education in honor of their daughter, who was not given the chance. We presented this award to Kat Hawthorne, who is a first-year student. With a major in theater, Kat has a 4.0 GPA and has been in a short film through the Radiance Cinema program and performed in the 24-hour play festival. Kat has a large social media following because of her content, in which she decorates her crutch to spread awareness about disabilities and help other people with disabilities to not feel alone.

 

This is the sixteenth year that students will be presented with the Fehribach awards, which are named in recognition of Ball State alumni Greg Fehribach and his wife, Mary Beth. Greg and Mary Beth are longtime supporters of Disability Services, and Greg served as the student body president of Ball State. Greg also is a former Board of Trustee member and a prominent Indianapolis attorney and national expert on ADA and accessibility issues.  Greg is also a distinguished fellow in the Office of Inclusive Excellence and has a partnership with Eskenazi. Students nominated for this award have done well in the classroom and have furthered the cause of access and opportunity either through direct action and/or through example.

Anna Good is a freshman from West Lafayette, IN, with a 4.0 GPA. She is a Social Work major and has participated in the Office of Disability Services Summer Bridge program. She is an ADA Executive Board Member and has been featured in a Daily News article about accessibility.

Samantha Kalvaitis is a freshman from McCordsville, IN, with a 3.53 GPA. She is a Social Work major and participated in the Office of Disability Services Summer Bridge program. Samantha is proud of getting her first job and states that she has made lots of new friends and loves spending time with them. She is also proud of her good grades.

Keegan Reynolds is a freshman from Muncie, IN, with a 3.91 GPA. He is an Applied Behavioral Analysis major and made the Dean’s List last semester. Keegan is a ten-year 4-H member and also a twelve-year competitive gymnast.

Dillon Rosenlieb is a freshman from Beavercreek, OH, with a 3.4 GPA. He is a Journalism major and participated in the Office of Disability Services Summer Bridge program. Dillon has been featured in a video from BSU Daily News and has already written several articles for Ball Bearings, the BSU student magazine. Dillon is also a wheelchair basketball enthusiast.

Kaelyn Tucker is a freshman from Muncie, IN, with a 3.5 GPA. She is a Computer Science major and has participated in the Office of Disability Services Summer Bridge program. Kaelyn is proud of making the Dean’s List and has started rock climbing this year. She has also joined ADA and an ASL club.

This is the sixth year that a student was presented with the Markle Award. This award is named in recognition of Ball State alumni and former director, Larry Markle, along with his family – wife Shana and son Quentin. Larry and his family are continuing supporters of Disability Services and the Eskenazi partnership. Students nominated for the Markle award have done well in the classroom, supported access in the Ball State community and who has completed an internship through the IEEI program.

Mia Carter is a graduate student from Fishers, IN, with a 4.0 GPA. She is in a School Counseling master’s program and interned with the Fehribach Center at Eskenazi last summer. Mia graduated Magna Cum Laude from Ball State with a Psychology degree and made the Dean’s List every semester. She is currently a grad assistant in Elementary Education and also works as an on-call victim advocate for the Ball State Center for Survivor Support.

 

The Gilmer-Adamson Award is the top student award that is given to a student with a disability who excels academically, is involved on campus, and believes in creating access and opportunity for others. This award is named in honor of Max Adamson, a Ball State student from the years of 1976-1985. Max was a key figure in getting Ball State to the level of accessibility that it is today. Though he died several years ago, Max’s memory thrives in those who knew him. A couple of years ago, Dustin Gilmer’s name was added to this award because, like Max Adamson, Dustin worked tirelessly for accessibility. Dustin was known by many and he was also loved by all.

Taylor Bowen is a senior from Fishers, IN, with a 3.34 GPA. She is a psychology major and a previous Eskenzai intern. Taylor is also a member of the Jump Rope Club and has had a story done on her by Burris. She works in the ACT Lab and has a school counseling internship at Burris this year. Taylor is a member of the Mortar Board National Honor Society and plans to be in a graduate program here at Ball State next year.

Lastly, The Harris-Rose Outstanding Alumnus Award recognizes a Ball State alumni with a disability who has been successful in their life after Ball State. Several years ago, we renamed this award the Richard Harris Outstanding Alumnus Award in honor of the man who is most responsible for the good reputation that Ball State has in serving students with disabilities. Upon Richard’s request, we added Bruce Rose’s name to the award. Bruce was an alumni who had a significant impact on access at Ball State.

Megan Miller came on campus as a pre-admission visit in 2009, and her and her mom came to campus with lots of questions! Her freshman year started in Fall 2010, which coincides with Dr. Jarrett’s first semester in the office. When looking at Megan’s case, one can see that she came to set up her accommodations and August, and then that’s it. She may have called and emailed with follow-up questions but Megan knew what to do. She has always been very independent, which again, is exactly the way it should be!

Megan graduated in 2013 with her Bachelor’s degree in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology with a 4.0 GPA. She then went on to get her master’s in Speech Language Pathology at Ball State, also with a 4.0 GPA. During her time at BSU, she received the President’s Citation for Academic Excellence and a Fehribach award. She also received both the Indiana Council of Administrators of Special Education Rutherford Porter and the Indiana Speech-Language-Hearing Association Scholarships. During her master’s program, she worked as a graduate clinician in the Speech-Language clinic and then completed her internship.

Since being a student at Ball State, Megan has been doing work that she loves. She currently serves as the Speech Language Pathologist at Burris Laboratory School right next to campus. She works closely with many students, including Dr. Jarrett’s own, to work on their language skills so they can express themselves independently and use their tone, body language, and other important techniques in their everyday lives. Megan also works with the Alzheimer’s Association for programs and support groups. She excels at making people feel welcome and supported, no matter what situation she finds herself in.

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