Shout Out

Tylee,

Happy Birthday!! Thank you so much for being who you are in this world and continue to do for the IL World. I am grateful for your example of persevering through the hard times in life and never caring of what others may think about you. You have never ceased to amaze me with the ability to see the good in every situation life hands in your lap and even though we've had our difficulties--it brings me comfort to know there is someone who believes in me to recognize what potential I have. Thank you so much for all the times you have continuously put up with me and given me advice in how I need to move forward with whatever happens next in my life. Hope you have the most amazingly legitimate and wonderful birthday celebrating you!!! #April25th #PerfectBirthday 

Self Advocacy Journey (Mini Version)

My unforgettable and treacherous journey of making it onto two governor appointed councils was quite a process for me that I didn't necessarily anticipate whatsoever. It took me awhile to even reach the spot of where I am right now and not knowing if I wanted to be a part of two separate councils with some of the absolute best of the best people ever... kind of made me feel slightly intimidated. I didn't even know if someone like myself qualified to participate on something where I would have to meet fairly if not ya know a high pedestal of expectations. I'm certainly not gonna make a complete fool of myself here at all and yet I cannot imagine the process it took me to reach this point--which if you ask me was at times an absolute rollercoaster of mixed emotions with anxiety not making stuff any much easier. I truly hope so much that I can leave a very deep imprint of the hearts of people I will come in association with over the course of my terms of service. It has been a very good experience for me to learn some of the many lessons that come along with being on these councils and getting an inside scoop of how much passion, dedicated time, energy, long hours of sitting through endless online meetings, among lots of other stuff- so many of those remarkable people do on a consistent basis. I am grateful for not only what they do on an annual basis with their jobs in these governor appointed councils--but for who they are in my life not to mention in the lives of so many self advocates with disabilities. I am grateful for their patience and if not more importantly one of them for genuinely putting up with me, despite all of the struggles I've had in the last year due to the health epidemic and not knowing where I want to be at in my life yet.