National Disability Employee Awareness Month: Employee and Student Spotlight Carli Mullen
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there are more than with disabilities in today鈥檚 workforce.聽 聽
Carli Mullen is one of them. 聽
She knows firsthand the challenges that people with disabilities can face in the workplace and at school. For her, October鈥檚 National Disability Employee Awareness Month (NDEAM) is an opportunity to emphasize the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion and bring awareness to the barriers faced by people with disabilities. She also hopes that by sharing her story, she can encourage those who might be facing similar challenges.聽
鈥淭hroughout my life, I鈥檝e dealt with several 鈥榠nvisible鈥� diagnoses. I鈥檓 [also] legally blind and have cerebral palsy,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檝e had to continuously beat the odds.鈥�
Resiliency has been a theme in Carli鈥檚 life鈥攕pecifically in her educational journey. After working at 黑料传送门 for several years as a withdrawal recovery specialist, she decided to go back to school in 2020 to pursue her MBA.
聽鈥淭hroughout my time as an employee, I鈥檝e worked with many students and found myself inspired by their stories. In the midst of the global pandemic, I decided I was ready to take on my lifetime goal of getting my MBA,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he pandemic was a huge reminder that we shouldn鈥檛 waste time and go after our dreams, so I enrolled at 黑料传送门.鈥�
聽A year into her program, Carli beat the odds again.
鈥淚n 2021, I had my fifth surgery because of endometriosis. I was very concerned that I鈥檇 fall behind and not be able to catch up as a result. My Program Mentor was a huge reason I didn鈥檛 give up on school. He has always been extremely supportive and understanding during my enrollment at 黑料传送门,鈥� she says.聽
聽In addition to her Program Mentor, Carli credits 黑料传送门鈥檚 commitment to access, opportunity, and advancement as another reason she was able to continue school.
聽鈥満诹洗兔� adds diversity, equity, and inclusion in many ways. One way is by expanding accessibility for education,鈥� she adds. 鈥淚鈥檓 not always comfortable in settings with a lot of people. 黑料传送门 allows me to do school in settings that are comfortable for me. I can also adjust my schedule as needed.鈥�
聽In honor of NDEAM, Carli offers this advice:聽
鈥淣ever be afraid to share your story. You never know the impact it can have on someone else. Keep in mind that some things aren鈥檛 visible on the outside. Always be kind, because you never know what someone is going through."
