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鈥淚 think it鈥檚 always better for all kids to be taught by people who look like they do and can think like they do,鈥� says Dylan Kapit. 鈥淵ou learn better when you are taught by someone like you, because they bring empathy and an understanding of who you are.鈥�

Kapit possesses an especially broad capacity for empathy and understanding. The former special education teacher, who is receiving a master鈥檚 degree in Developmental Disabilities, came out at age 12 as queer; at age 18 as transgender; and, as a young adult, as being on the autism spectrum.

鈥淚鈥檝e been really lucky, I鈥檝e had people in my corner my whole life 鈥� people willing to fight for me,鈥� says Kapit, who uses the pronouns they, theirs and them. The list includes a best friend with Down syndrome; the community at a summer camp for young people with disabilities, where Kapit worked for six years as a counselor; and classmates in high school, at Barnard College and at TC.

I鈥檝e been really lucky, I鈥檝e had people in my corner my whole life 鈥� people willing to fight for me. But a lot of folks who are queer, trans, have a disability or a combination of all three or more are not used to that kind of unconditional support.

-Dylan Kapit

鈥淏ut a lot of folks who are queer, trans, have a disability or a combination of all three or more are not used to that kind of unconditional support鈥濃�� so Kapit has made a commitment to 鈥済iving back鈥� by 鈥渇ighting for those with disabilities as others have fought for me.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 not that hard to be supportive of young people with disabilities,鈥� says the Maryland native. 鈥淭he reality is you just have to listen to what we have to say. People are sometimes quick to assume our perspectives aren鈥檛 valid or that we are not smart. This is just not correct. If someone is curious about our thinking they should just ask. We know what we鈥檙e talking about.鈥�

Kapit praises the 鈥渇ierce advocates鈥� in the TC Developmental Disabilities program for knowing exactly what to ask and for urging students to 鈥渓isten to self-advocates鈥� who understand the issues encountered by the disabled in the pursuit of a quality education.

It鈥檚 not that hard to be supportive of young people with disabilities. The reality is you just have to listen to what we have to say.鈥�

-Dylan Kapit

By the end of the year, Kapit says with pride, 鈥渓isten to the self-advocates鈥� had become the students鈥� mantra as well. 鈥淲e specifically owe this to Dr. Mazin, Dr. Jahromi, Sarah Aiken, Morgan Flanagan, Leah Gruber, Sarah Jones, Gaby Lee, Taylor Levin, Candelaria Ponceliz, and Jessica Rile.鈥�

Following graduation, Kapit will head to the University of Pittsburgh to pursue a Ph.D. in Special Education, with a focus on teacher training and the development of a sexual education curriculum for people with autism. 鈥淲e talked a lot in class about involving people with disabilities in policy and involving people with disabilities in developing curriculum. And that makes sense 鈥� because who can better help teachers serve young people with disabilities than someone with a disability?鈥�

— Steve Giegerich