I have lived in the wonderful state of Washington all my life. I was born in Enumclaw WA, then Adopted at age 4 and raised here in the valley of Ellensburg. I have worked with CWDR as a consumer since I was 16 years old, so basically since I was in high school. The amount of activities, trips, and adventures that I had the pleasure of doing with Central Washington Disability Resources was pretty rad I must admit. I got to go to a conference called  (APRIL) Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living when I was 17 yrs old with a CWDR staff member and two board members and 2 other youth and I loved the experience. 

As some people may already know this, I’m Transgender (MTF) Male-to-female But identify as Non-Binary so my pronouns are they/them, and I also am demisexual (please look up these terms if you don’t understand). I always knew there was something special about me and I knew since I was young. Well it was 6th grade and I started exploring my sexuality and gender but had no clue what those two were until I got into 9th grade and I came out as Gay. When I went to APRIL conference at the beginning of my 10th grade year  it help me in so many ways, I went to one of their LGBT workshop where they showed, The movie Prayers for Bobby, A mother coming to terms with the suicide of her gay son. That movie changed the way I viewed myself from then on. The  following year I came out as a transgender woman to all my friends and the staff at the high school. It wasn’t until I moved out on my own when I was 20 that I told my parents. I’m proud of who I am and who I have become, Especially with the disabilities that have made it a challenge course in my life. I have Fibromyalgia, Chronic Migraines, Chronic Depression, Chronic Anxiety, ADHD, PTSD, and Autism. They have their special place in my day to day life and I have finally learned to fight the good fight last November to Stay here with all my Ohana!