Sumaya Aden
Sumaya Aden is an assistant educator with the Minneapolis Public School Early Childhood Screening Department. She works with children ages 3-5 in promoting kindergarten readiness and early interventions for developmental delays. She graduated from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities with a bachelor's degree in Biology, Society, and Environment. Her goal is to have a deeper comprehension of how teams can lead and collaborate to provide support to families and children with neurodevelopmental delays, and how to better serve communities that lack access to services. Sumaya is excited to be a LEND fellow to gain valuable skills necessary to better advocate for families and leave a positive impact wherever she goes.
John Ahorsu-Walker
John Ahorsu-Walker is a Ph.D. student in Educational Psychology-Special Education with a focus on Applied Behavior Analysis at the University of Minnesota. He holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in special education from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. With five years of experience as a special education teacher in Ghana, John provided school and home-based interventions for children with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). His research interests include quality appraisals of effective communication strategies for children with NDD, inclusion in mainstream schools, and interventions to improve the transition from public schools to adulthood and employment for individuals with NDD. As a predoctoral MNLEND fellow, John aims to connect with professionals from diverse disciplines, believing that the interdisciplinary nature of MNLEND will broaden his understanding of neurodiversity and how to support individuals with NDD and their families.
Osahon (Osa) Akpata-Tanious
Osa Akpata-Tanious is a second-year Master of Public Policy student at the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, concentrating in leadership and management. Bringing a diverse background in finance and public service, Osa is passionate about fostering connections between professional environments and community experiences to drive holistic growth and development. Her research interests lie at the intersection of economic liberation, mental wellness, safeguarding international cultural and spiritual practices, and disability advocacy within marginalized communities on a systemic level. As a MNLEND fellow, Osa is deeply committed to exploring innovative strategies that bridge these crucial areas and advance policies that empower individuals with disabilities, their families, and broader communities. Through her involvement in MNLEND, Osa aims to enhance her understanding of disability communities, pertinent policies, services, research, advocacy efforts, and the financial considerations that impact their daily lives. Osa’s dedication to creating positive change through her academic pursuits, community engagement, and practical experiences underscores her commitment to driving positive societal impact and promoting inclusive practices across diverse sectors.
Grace Boutouli
Grace Boutouli earned her bachelor's degree in developmental psychology from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. During her undergraduate career, she learned the intricate ways in which institutional and border policies impact the interpersonal aspects of life. Her research and dedication to understanding the complexities of the human experience have led her to pursue as a MNLEND fellow a deeper understanding of how this knowledge translates to the neurodevelopmental space. Grace's involvement in multidisciplinary research through the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program and her role as a PREP Scholar through the Clinical and Translational Science Institute has provided a strong foundational background that she hopes to build off of as a MNLEND fellow.
Christine Chen
Christine Chen is a second-year graduate student pursuing a career in speech-language pathology. She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from St. Norbert College and a master’s degree in psychology focusing on pediatric research from Vanderbilt University. Christine has enjoyed working with children with neurodevelopmental disabilities in both research and clinical settings, highlighting their motor and language skills. She is currently working in Dr. Lizbeth Finestack’s Child Language Intervention Lab on implementing interventions that target children’s use of grammar. During her fellowship year, Christine hopes to gain a deeper understanding of how to best serve and advocate for individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities through collaborating with other LEND fellows.
Rachel Cressler
Rachel Cressler is the physical therapy resident at Gillette Children's for the 2024-2025 term. She is originally from Middletown, Delaware, but completed her undergraduate and graduate coursework at the University of Missouri. She obtained her doctorate of physical therapy from the University of Missouri in May 2024. During her graduate coursework, she completed a clinical experience in school-based therapy and thoroughly enjoyed her experience. She plans to grow her knowledge and skills in pediatrics through pursuing a pediatric clinical specialty. She is very excited to further her knowledge and understanding of neurodevelopmental conditions and how she can best support and advocate for her patients. She is also very much looking forward to learning from and developing relationships with fellows from various disciplines.
Tasha Feigh
Tasha Feigh loves to travel with her family, to learn new things, and to advocate for people with disabilities. She has participated in Best Buddies and Special Olympics and has worked for Finley's, a pet food company that focuses on employing people with disabilities. Each of these programs has given her the boost and confidence to be herself, learn new things, and be an advocate. Her goal is to learn how to educate others on advocacy as well.
Brynn Hesselberg
Brynn Hesselberg is currently a third-year doctor of audiology student at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. She is originally from Columbus, Wisconsin, and received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in communication sciences and disorders. She has been an avid disability rights advocate for more than a decade, beginning as a volunteer with Special Olympics. Her years of experience working with individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities led her to graduate school, continuing to be an advocate for more accessible healthcare for her patients. Her goal within her time at MNLEND is to learn more about how she can improve the field of audiology for NDD patients through more community outreach and awareness of hearing health.
Olga Perez Inclan
Olga Perez Inclan was born in Mexico. She has a Child Development Certification from the CDA Council of Mexico and a Master's Degree in Neuropedagogy, Cognition and Didactics CEENP Neurosciences. Olga came to the United States in 2003, she has 3 sons, a stepdaughter, and four grandchildren. She joined a group of child care providers called LA RED LATINA Early Education 8 years ago where she has the opportunity to be a part of the team of leading providers learning about child development and resources for the Latino community. Olga's youngest son and grandson are in special education programs. With her involvement in MNLEND, her interest is in increasing access to families in early childhood disabilities and special education by advocating and supporting vulnerable communities, especially Latino families. She would like to continue helping the families who have children in Special Education and disabilities programs helping them learn about the access and resources that the state has for Latino families in the Spanish language for greater integration and participation. In addition she would like to continue generating a positive impact in the families of her community.
Anne Iniguez
Anne Iniguez is a dedicated professional, bringing a unique and valuable perspective to her work in education and behavior analysis. She specializes in evidence-based practices across all areas of instruction and has made significant contributions to various educational and community institutions. Anne holds a bachelor's degree is elementary education from Iowa State University, a master's degree in special education from Northern Arizona University, a master's degree in reading from the University of Mary, and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) certificate from Arizona State University. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in Speech and Language Pathology at the University of Minnesota.
Miriam Kornelis
Miriam Kornelis is a Ph.D. student in Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences at the University of Minnesota. Miriam is a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP) and a graduate of Calvin University. Prior to beginning her doctoral studies, Miriam worked as an early childhood SLP for three years in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As a Ph.D. student and researcher, Miriam is dedicated to exploring improved intervention methods for SLPs to support children with developmental disabilities, particularly those with developmental language disorder (DLD) and those who are linguistically diverse and/or have limited access to resources, as early in life as possible to ensure best outcomes. In her free time, Miriam enjoys walking near any of Minneapolis’ amazing lakes, cooking a good meal, or sewing something new. As a LEND fellow, Miriam intends to engage meaningfully in collaboration and interdisciplinary practice to align her future research directions with the broader perspectives of the disability community.
Andrea Lawson
Andrea joins MNLEND as a pre-doctoral fellow while currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Health with a focus in Maternal Child Health at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. She previously earned her Bachelor’s in African/African-American Studies with a minor in Spanish Studies from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Additionally, she holds a Master’s in Health Services Administration from Central Michigan University. As a Ghanaian-American native of St. Paul, Andrea enjoys traveling and seeking out new adventures with her family. Her interests lie at the intersection of neurodevelopmental (NDD) disabilities, maternal and child health, health equity, early childhood interventions, policy administration, special education, trauma-informed care, and ethics. As a MNLEND fellow, Andrea aims to leverage her experience and knowledge from the fellowship to deepen her understanding of working with and advocating for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. She is dedicated to creating greater access to early intervention strategies and utilizing her advocacy skills to address systemic barriers faced by neurodivergent families within marginalized communities. The interdisciplinary nature of the MNLEND program will enable Andrea to collaborate effectively with professionals from various backgrounds, fostering a holistic approach to supporting individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities.
Rachel Lieberman
Rachel Lieberman grew up in and around Chicago, Illinois, before moving to the Twin Cities to attend Macalester College. For more than 15 years, she has enjoyed teaching in special education classrooms in the United States and Ecuador, supporting adults with disabilities in day programs and other forms of community engagement, and working as an in-home caretaker for individuals with disabilities. For the past five years, Rachel has worked as a program director with Cow Tipping Press. In this role, she finds tangible and inspiring possibilities for a more inclusive and creative future: one that expects, accepts, and celebrates neurodiversity and one that embraces greater equity for all of us. Rachel recently graduated from the 4.0 Schools Tiny Fellowship program, where she piloted a childcare program for young kids with and without IDD staffed by adults with and without disabilities. She is excited to deepen her exploration of this project, and to grow her prowess as a disability justice advocate as a 2024-25 LEND Fellow.
Debbie Lommel
Debbie Lommel is a second-year Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student at the University of Minnesota, specializing in primary care as a pediatric nurse practitioner. With extensive experience as a Masonic Children's Hospital nurse, she supports her community in caring for patients with complex medical needs during acute situations. Debbie is also a pediatric clinical instructor for nursing students and hopes to support her students as they learn to care for the diverse needs of pediatric patients. As a MNLEND fellow, Debbie aims to deepen her understanding of working with children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families. She aspires to leverage this knowledge to become a more effective advocate and healthcare provider, ensuring these children receive comprehensive and empathetic care. Her goal is to bridge the gap between medical support and holistic family-centered care, promote health equity, and empower families to navigate the complexities of neurodiversity.
Andrew Medlin, DDS
Andrew Medlin knew he wanted to be a dentist from an early age because it combined his major interests: art, science, and helping others. He has worked in public health for the last 11 years in the urban core of his hometown, Kansas City, Missouri. During this period, he witnessed the incredible need for children requiring specialized care and the lack of options available. In the last three years, he has experienced tremendous joy working with more and more children and has discovered that working with this population is his lifelong calling. He is thrilled to start his pediatric dental residency at the University of Minnesota in July! A significant part of the residency will be learning how to safely care for children with complex health needs, including those with neurodevelopmental disabilities. He wants to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges these children and families face on a daily basis. He wants to better understand the work of other professionals and how we can work together to best help people living with neurodevelopmental disabilities. After completing residency, he plans to continue working in public health and wants to get more involved at the local and state levels, advocating for all children, especially those living with disabilities.
Sarah Mohamed
Sarah Mohamed is joining the MNLEND fellowship as a community fellow. She is originally from Fargo, ND with a bachelors degree in psychology from the University of Minnesota. She currently work as a grant coordinator at the Autism Society of MN. In her role she work with local organizations that AuSM has partnered with to provide better access to services for marginalized communities. As someone who plans on attending law school to become a legal advocate for marginalized groups, joining this program will assist her in educating myself on disability issues and rights. Sarah's job at AuSM has expanded her interests in disability advocacy. She want to learn more about how she can support and advocate for disabled people especially those who have lesser access to services. Working with the east african communities in particular has made her realize the many barriers that families are faced with. She want to be apart of the solution and help families find better access to services.
Vanessa Thomasin Morgan
Vanessa Thomasin Morgan is a Ph.D. student in neuroscience at the University of Minnesota. Her research currently focuses on the dynamic behaviors of brain networks. She hopes to use this framework as a way of characterizing how brain activity differs in autism and other forms of neurodivergence in children. As an undergraduate, she studied psychology and computer science. Vanessa is a proudly hard-of-hearing and autistic trans woman. She tries to incorporate the values she has learned from her own communities within her research. She hopes to be able to hear from many disabled voices that are different from her own during her time as a LEND fellow and to learn the skills she will need as a disability self-advocate within the sciences. Her non-research hobbies and interests include science fiction, signed linguistics, and volunteering. As an autistic person, her special interests include bonobos, vegetarianism, and disability history.
Michelle Pettit
Michelle Pettit is an occupational therapist and trauma-informed yoga teacher. She is passionate about connecting with people to facilitate their engagement in meaningful life activities that support their autonomy, strengths, and aspirations. Michelle is co-owner and co-CEO of Roots and Wings Therapeutic Services, an OT private practice supporting the neurodivergent community at all stages of life in their homes, communities, and nature-based environments. Michelle is especially passionate about creating and implementing inclusive and therapeutic nature-based camps for all ages that support natural opportunities for learning, growth, regulation, and engagement with peers. Additionally, Michelle is an ADHDer and currently works with a fully neurodivergent therapist team. Michelle received an undergraduate degree in sociology at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, and a master's degree in OT at St. Catherine University. Michelle is consistently learning and self-reflecting to ensure quality and compassionate services and looks forward to the opportunity with MNLEND to continue to do so.
Jill Pring
Jill Pring, M.Ed., is an educational consultant who supports students who receive special education services. While she works with students across disability areas, her scope of expertise is working with students who are identified as having autism spectrum disorder, emotional behavioral disorder, and/or a developmental cognitive disability. Jill is also the senior site director for Camp Discovery, a residential summer camp for autistic youth and adults that is held in collaboration with the Autism Society of Minnesota. Jill’s passion is supporting students through a neurodiversity-affirming lens, with the goal of ensuring that all Individualized Education Plans are developed in a way that acknowledges lived experience and listens to the voice of the student. Jill is excited to be joining the LEND program as a community fellow and hopes to gain a deeper understanding of disability, using gained knowledge to better support students, families, and other educators.
Paige Richmond
Paige Richmond is a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) currently working on her Ph.D. in culture and teaching at the University of Minnesota's College of Education and Human Development. A believer in the promise and power of public education, she spent most of her teaching career in the greater Seattle area, as an elementary special education teacher for 7 years and then as a district-wide teacher coach for 5 years. She now trains current and future educators as an instructor at University of Minnesota, Twin Cities while working in Minneapolis Public Schools and South St. Paul Public Schools. Paige is passionate about universal design for learning (UDL), inclusion, equity, and high standards for all students. As a MNLEND fellow, Paige’s goal is to better understand how to bring theories of high leverage, inclusive teaching practices into daily classroom practice.
Caroline Roberts
Caroline Roberts was a predoctoral fellow in 2020 and is excited to rejoin MNLEND as a postdoctoral fellow. She recently completed her Ph.D. in educational psychology with a minor in family social science. Her research interest is primarily self-injurious behavior, which developed from her lived experience caring for her brother, Benjamin, who has an undiagnosed developmental disability. Through the process of integrating her lived experience as a sibling of someone with a developmental disability with her professional experience in academic research, Caroline discovered the value of transdisciplinary approaches that value and integrate knowledge across and beyond traditional academic disciplines and ways of knowing. With this year’s LEND cohort, she hopes to continue to hone her skills in community engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Danielle Roberts/Zequan Equay
Danielle Roberts is an enrolled member of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians and is also known by her Native American name, Zequan. She is a community liaison at Migizi Communications, Inc. and a community engagement connector for the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota. Her pronouns are she/her/hers.
Kamola Salimova
Kamola Salimova moved to the United States with her husband in 2008 from Uzbekistan. Since then, they have had twin boys. Balancing her family and academic life is tricky at times, but she likes being at school because she is a great model for her boys. The University allows her to meet with skilled professionals, and she has met many outstanding professors and classmates. She looks forward to continuing her education to gain all she can from the university experience. She is mission-driven and highly motivated to learn about research and gain knowledge in the field of disabilities. She has always had an ambition and passion to help children with special needs. Uzbekistan does not have the same opportunities for study and disability services as in the United States. She is intrigued by the facilities and educational opportunities for children with disabilities in the United States. After seeing a friend studying at the University of Minnesota in order to pursue a career, she decided to choose the University of Minnesota for its excellent educational program in special education. She aims to graduate with professional and academic skills and apply to a Ph.D. program. Her focus will be on early childhood special education, helping families through these difficult stages of parenting.
Miriam Alejandra Castro Sanjuan
Miriam Alejandra Castro Sanjuan feels privileged to join the MNLEND Fellowship Program as a community member. Miriam holds a bachelor’s degree in dance from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and a Master of Occupational Therapy degree from the University of Washington in Seattle. Miriam was born in Mexico City and emigrated with her family to Minnesota when she was 13. After completing her bachelor’s degree, Miriam moved with her now husband to Seattle, where she had the opportunity to expand her education. As an occupational therapist, Miriam has spent most of her time working in the early childhood field, providing early intervention home visits, and supporting students in their preschool classrooms. As an early intervention provider working with Minneapolis Public Schools, Miriam loves to create opportunities for team members to collaborate and provide the best services possible to all families. Miriam intends to use this opportunity to develop a better understanding of how to improve communication between systems so that all families can have access to the support and resources they need.
Selvy Somasoundirapille
Selvy Somasoundirapille was born in Mexico, and she has been living in Minnesota for 7 years. She is the primary caregiver for her 22-year-old daughter, who lives with IDD. As an immigrant navigating the United States system with a family member with IDD, she has faced numerous challenges. Understanding the processes has been particularly difficult for her and her family. As a MNLEND fellow, she would like to prepare herself and gain knowledge to be able to better assist her Hispanic community. Her goal is to help mitigate the challenges they face in accessing appropriate services.
Zoua Vang
Zoua Vang is an advocate, public speaker, and strategic communications consultant. She has spent nearly 30 years in the media and communications industry. She was an award-winning journalist and is recognized as the first Hmong television broadcaster to work in mainstream media in the United States. She left the news industry to head up a policy and communications department advocating for children. After nearly a decade of professionally advocating for kids, she walked away from her professional and public life to advocate for her daughter who has a disability. She currently lives in Minnesota with her husband and three children. She’s interested in influencing systems and policies so that people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities will have more person-centered housing options in Minnesota.
Emma Worthley
Emma recently completed her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota. She was a predoctoral LEND fellow during the 2022-2023 academic year. During graduate school, Emma researched sensory reactivity in autism, focusing on sensory measurement. Prior to graduate school, Emma worked in various roles directly supporting autistic children in a myriad of settings, including an Early Intervention Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) program, the classroom, the home, and the community. She is also a mom to a wonderful, explorative toddler (a mini-LEND fellow in training), a bassist, a drummer, and a plant enthusiast. This year, Emma is very excited to be a part of LEND as a postdoctoral fellow to continue training and professional development in her path forward in leadership roles supporting the neurodevelopmental disability community. She looks forward to a LEND year of interdisciplinary networking and community engagement.
Advanced Medium-Term Trainees
Olivia Evers
Olivia Evers is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota, double majoring in Developmental Psychology and Family Therapy and minoring in Neuroscience. She is very passionate about research, having two years of neurodevelopmental disorder research experience in the CNS and Burrows labs at the UMN. During the summer of 2024, Olivia worked as a CTSI PReP Scholar, where she researched ADHD and autism co-occurrence in school-aged children. She is a self-advocate for neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and has worked with young children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder as a Behavioral Technician. Olivia is passionate about early neurodevelopmental disorder screening and intervention and aims to get her PhD in Clinical Psychology to become a pediatric neuropsychologist. Through the MNLEND program, she seeks to gain a deeper understanding of NDDs and how she can make a more significant difference in her community as an advocate and researcher.
Christine Friendshuh
Christine Friendshuh is a person with many hats. She is an undergraduate student learning about Psychology, Developmental Psychology and Statistics. Another hat she wears is a mother of three autistic children of ages 6 - 16. Both her and her husband received autism diagnoses as adults and are learning to navigate this world as neurodivergents together. Christine is grateful to have an opportunity to participate in such a great program as LEND and is looking forward to a year full of learning, connections, and growth!
Haniya Hopson
Haniya Hopson is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of Minnesota. She has conducted research on neurodevelopmental disorders as a McNair Scholar and is passionate about improving diagnostic practices and mental health care accessibility for underrepresented communities. Her passion for understanding autism and neurodevelopmental disorders stems from her personal experiences as a Black, autistic woman navigating spaces that often lacked awareness of neurodiversity. As a MNLEND fellow, Haniya hopes to expand her knowledge through interdisciplinary collaboration to better support neurodivergent individuals and their families.
Enengy Schutt
Enengy Schutt is an aspiring bilingual speech-language pathologist (SLP) whose passion lies in improving the quality of life and communication of patients in rehabilitation for neurogenic disorders. This May, she will graduate from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, with a BA in Psychology and Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences with a minor in Family Therapy. With tenacity, she plans to earn a PhD to continue and deepen her involvement in applied, interdisciplinary research in communication sciences and disorders. Research, employment, and volunteer opportunities have made gaps between current literature, treatment, and patient needs apparent throughout her undergraduate journey. She aspires to dedicate her graduate degrees to recruiting principles of representation and inclusion to research in order to incur knowledge and treatment that is accessible and generalizable– based on evidence and outcomes.
Medium-Term Trainees
Ubah Shire
Ubah Shire is a Somali-American graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in speech-language pathology. She received her bachelor’s degree in clinical psychology and statistics. She aims to focus her studies on bilingualism and multiculturalism to create space for those who may face various challenges in seeking speech, language, and feeding-related care. She believes that to achieve competent healthcare, we must first cultivate a collaborative, interpersonal, and integrative culture. Her goal as a LEND fellow is to honor the lived experiences of the people and communities she serves.
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