The Commission for Disability Undergraduate Student Award honors an undergraduate student who is a champion for support and recognition of people with disabilities.
Sarah Fisher
What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?
“Being a Volunteer gives students an infinite amount of possibilities. As someone who grew up with a disability, UT provides a distinct pathway to excel in my chosen field of public relations at the Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations. I would not be where I am today without the support and guidance of my professors and other faculty members in the College of Communication and Information and the resources provided to their students.”
Evan Shannon
Evan Shannon is a fourth-year Classics and Religious Studies student. His research interests include disability studies in classical reception, ancient views of disability, and religious hegemony. When not in class or working in Pendergrass Library, Evan likes to play board games and hang out with his cats at home.
What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?
“The faculty in the Classics Department at UT have fostered my interest in disability advocacy in a few ways. First, I serve as the undergraduate representative on our Access & Engagement Committee, which has allowed me to work on promoting access to Classics for students of underrepresented backgrounds. Second, I completed research on disability studies in classical reception, which I presented at the Tennessee Undergraduate Classics Research Conference. My professors in Classics have been truly amazing people to work with, and they are the main reason I am at UT.”
What are your plans after graduation?
“After graduation, I hope to pursue a Masters of Library and Information Sciences to become an academic librarian. I want to continue working with students of various backgrounds, and I especially want to continue promoting diversity, accessibility, and inclusion in higher education.”