DMD/Bender Leadership Academy/Bender Student Leaders Program

Welcome to Disability Matters with your host Joyce Bender. All comments, views, and opinions expressed on the show are solely those of the host, guest, and callers. Now the host of Disability Matters, here's Joyce Bender.

Hi everyone, welcome to the show. Everyone in the United States and around the world, it— is amazing how we have picked up such a great listening audience around the world. It really is. I mean, from China to Finland to Russia, I mean, it's just— Australia, France, Japan. I know Brazil's listening. You know how I know? Because my very close friend from the U.S. State Department, Mr. Richard Roberts,, who is a disability rights leader, close friend, think the world of him, is in Brazil. That's how I know they're listening in Brazil. And Gangyang Cho in South Korea, Venyamin in Kazakhstan, you know what, so many people. Oh, Cheryl Harris, who's at the State Department, she used to be at Tunisia. So, so you understand this, these people that work at embassies, when I go there, I go through the country for a week talking about the employment of people with disabilities. Isn't that something? That's why the U.S. State Department is making things happen that normally would not happen. So, thank you, all of you listeners, all of you countries, And a special shout out to Yoshiko Dart. Yoshiko, lead on. And to my sponsor, Highmark, what a great company that is the lead sponsor of this show. I always say Highmark sets the high mark for other companies to follow. Well, this is a great show today. Great, great, great, because it's some people I think so very highly of. That I am thrilled to have with us today, which would be Lena Fusarelli from Nova Chemicals, Jenny Holme from NGEN, and our own Manager of Programs and Partnerships at the Bender Leadership Academy, Mr. Scott Hammerstrom, who we just love so much. So all of you, welcome to the show.

Thank you, Joyce. Good to be here.

Well, this is a great—

thank you. This is a great show because we're talking about one of my favorite things in the whole world, and Scott's, I might add, which is Disability Mentoring Day, the 3rd October, the 3rd Wednesday of every October. Just, just a wonderful program. But I'm not going to take away your thunder, Scott. Would you mind telling our listeners first what you do at the Bender Family of Companies, in this case, in the not-for-profit, the Bender Leadership Academy, and for all of you, even around the world, okay, I want you all to know what Disability Mentoring Day is. So, Scott, would you mind explaining your role and talk about Disability Mentoring Day?

Absolutely. And thank you so much, Joyce, for having me on. Correct, I, as you mentioned, I am the manager of programs and partnerships for Bender Leadership Academy. So this is a nonprofit organization that you started back in 2018, but we have been doing programs for students with disabilities for over 20 years. But we officially made it a nonprofit in, in 2018. But I have been working for you, Joyce, for over 15 years now before I moved over to the nonprofit side. I worked at Bender Consulting and I was a team lead of talent programs. But as you know, my passion is with young people, especially young people with disabilities. So I had the chance and I jumped on it to be a part of this Bender Leadership Academy and, and start watching this nonprofit organization grow, especially in the last couple of years and loving every minute of it. But I've also been the regional coordinator for Western Pennsylvania for Disability Mentoring Day probably for the last 15 years. And for those of you who don't know, Disability Mentoring Day, it's a national program which was first started in the White House in 1999 through the American Association of People with Disabilities, or AAPD, to promote career development for high school students with disabilities through job shadowing and hands-on career exploration. And the Bender Leadership Academy coordinates Disability Mentoring Day for Pennsylvania and also Delaware, for, for an area of Delaware. And our company has partnered with Bender Leadership Academy to host students and inspire them toward future success. And this year Disability Mentoring Day is going to be on Wednesday, October 19th, from 9:30 a.m. until about 1 p.m. in Western Pennsylvania. And we are very excited to have most of our students to be attending in person this year after the last couple years that have been virtual. So we're sort of going to be doing a hybrid, but we're very excited about this year.

Oh, that is awesome. Yes, I love it too. It's— and by the way, we're lucky to have you, Scott.

Well, thank you.

He is like a treasure to me at our company, but to high school students with disabilities, because he truly has the passion, and that is what it is all about. Scott, if I just thought of this, If someone is listening to the show and they're thinking as the show goes on, "Oh, I wish I could have been involved," can they? Can a company still be involved or is it too late?

Well, we were always looking for new companies to participate. If they get in touch with Louis this week, because we're going to be starting matching very, very soon, but for Disability Mentor Day, it's a whole year process as far as planning. So even if they're not able to make— do it this year, they can still contact me now and we can get them prepared and ready to go for next year. So, but hopefully if you contact me soon, there is still a chance for this year.

Okay, and even for next year, what about high schools?

We are always looking for new school districts to participate in Disability Mentoring Day. Right now we're in about 5 counties in western Pennsylvania, and we're working with some cyber schools in central PA and eastern PA. So if you're in Pennsylvania and you're a school district that is interested in Disability Mentoring Day, absolutely let us know because we don't want to turn down any students for this great opportunity.

That is right. And as we go on, I just want to mention this show is on demand, which means you can go to Spotify, Apple, voiceamerica.com, benderconsult.com, and hear the show. And you may be listening and think, oh, I wish I could send this to whomever. You can. You can get the podcast and send it. All right, uh, Jenny Holme, one of my very favorite people, welcome to the show.

Thanks for having me.

Of course I would have you. You are a superstar young lady and a great disability rights advocate. She is. But first, I wanted you to share with our listeners what you do at NGEN and what NGEN is, and then your involvement with Disability Mentoring Day.

Yeah, absolutely.

Um, so NGEN Probably a name a lot of people have not heard, but I'm sure a lot of people have heard of Highmark. So, NGINN is kind of our technology branch of the Highmark Health enterprise. We focus in on having a product for insurance companies to manage their technology behind the scenes, and we work with a lot of other Blues plans outside of just Highmark. To really, you know, power healthcare. Personally, what I do is I am a lead business process engineer. So not doing the traditional IT stuff. I'm more in a strategic role. And my goal in my job is to enable our business to be the best that it can, that we are running the most efficient way, that we're always looking at future trends and we're thinking forward a bit more. I also do a lot of other things. I am the chair for our business resource group for people with disabilities, and I also lead the Bender Highmark Partnership and Careers to Be. So, I do plenty of things outside of my day-to-day. But as far as DMD goes, we've been involved in Disability Mentoring Day for many, many years. And what we have always looked to do, both through Disability Mentoring Day and other vendor leadership programs, is give students the best experience possible, give them a view of the many different things that Highmark offers outside of probably what people think we do, and really, you know, invest in the students that we get.

Well, I want to go back to what you were saying about, for a minute, about that resource group. Would you mind explaining to everyone what that means? And if there, for example, if there isn't a company that has that, why it's so important?

Yeah, absolutely. So, business resource group, also a lot of people probably have heard employee resource group. They can be used interchangeably in a lot of ways. But a business resource group is an affinity group within an organization. Usually it's geared towards different marginalized groups. So at Highmark we have 8 different BRGs for different marginalized areas. We have BOLD, which is our Black Organization for Leadership Development, Abilities, which is the one that I lead, which focuses on individuals with disabilities, Pride, which is LGBTQIA+, and many more. And that— the goal of a business resource group really is to ensure that we are raising the voices of those marginalized individuals, not only for employees' sake and making sure that our employees are getting what they need, our employees feel represented, we have an inclusive environment, but also for the people we serve. And especially in Highmark, you know, Highmark and AHN, we're all part of the same company. So, we also want to make sure from an ability standpoint, you know, that our patients and members and employees, right, anyone who has a disability that's associated with our company in any way is having the best experience possible. And I think important to get involved in because it's just— there's so much that you can get out of being in a business resource group, you know, outside of just feeling like you're doing good and you're contributing to the overall diversity of your organization. But also, there's a lot of opportunity for personal growth and development, ability to connect with new people, right? Networking is important. And then again, right, it's representation, especially if you are someone who has a disability and there's a disability business resource group in your organization. Your voice matters, and I would definitely encourage someone to join their BRG.

Uh, Jenny has done a great job, but if you have questions about this, uh, at Highmark— Jenny, what is your email at Highmark?

Yeah, my email address is Jennifer.homme, which is H-O-M-M-E, home with an extra M in it, at hmhs.com.

Okay, so if you have any questions, you can get in touch with Jenny in reference to putting together that resource group. And we are so excited about so many things that we have going on, but one, Scott, I wanted to ask you, how many students participated last year? Do you expect the same thing this year? And also share with our listeners about that VIP event the Monday before Disability Mentoring Day.

Oh, absolutely.

So last year we had over 500 high school students with disabilities participate in Disability Building Mentoring Day. And we had about 29 companies or college and universities or government agencies, small companies who participated. So last year we had over 500, and, and this year we are going to be going to a hybrid model where some of the students will be going in person to businesses and some will be doing it virtually. But we are definitely expecting to get over 500 students again this year. I just got an update a few minutes ago from Allegheny County that they have additional students that they're going to be sending. So I think it's going to be bigger than ever this year. And the other thing that we're very excited about, Joyce, is we— every year for the last 14 years, we've had a kickoff reception, typically 2 days prior to Disability Mentoring Day. So this year is going to be on October 17th, which is a Monday evening, from 5:30 PM. I'm probably last until 8:00 PM. And after 2 years of being virtual, so we are very excited to be back at the Heinz History Center for this. And if you are— it will be a great event. You can have disability leaders. You can have business leaders. You can have educators there. You can have students with disabilities there all in one room hanging out as a, you know, as a networking and, and just talking to each other. And it is just a wonderful event. So we are very much looking forward to having that at the Heinz Institute Center this year. After— we have not been there since 2019, so we are very excited. And after that event, Joyce— oh, I was going to say, after the event— No, no. We are going to have— go ahead.

No, I was going to ask you who would be at the event.

Yes, at the event we're going to have— we always have a featured speaker, and this year it's going to be Susan Digelman, who is an executive at AT&T, and she is also the chairperson of the American Association of People with Disabilities. We'll be giving away awards for our Educator of the Year, our Pioneer Award, and our Sam Milner Award at that event, and we'll be recognizing our 15 students who won a Linda Dickerson Scholarship. It's a $1,000 scholarship, and we'll be recognizing them at that event as well.

Wow, that is so great. You know what, did you ever go to something, it's so great, but you really can't describe it? You know, this isn't like, I don't know, some business events, you know, they're all so similar.

Not stuffy.

This is, yeah, and stuffy, right? This is not like anything you've been to. First of all, I should say Pines History Center, so beautiful. By the way, that's part of the Smithsonian. It's so beautiful, and the people of these companies, they're so wonderful, and, you know, the students are phenomenal. The keynote speaker, really, this is just a great, great night, and I hope you're there. So, Jenny, what about you? Why would you tell companies that are listening to this show right now to participate in Disability Mentoring Day? And by the way, Jenny is very young, so I will tell you, Highmark and Bender were the first other than in D.C. and Delaware. By the way, those were both of my customers, but Highmark the first to participate in Disability Mentoring Day. So that's how long they participated. Uh, Jenny, that's when you were a child, but I wanted to ask you why you think other companies should participate in Disability Mentoring Day.

You know, I think, um, it seems like a simple answer, Right. You should participate in Disability Mentoring Day because it's giving you the opportunity to, you know, change someone's life, right? You know, it sounds maybe a little bit dramatic to say it that way, but I think it's true that, you know, getting experience in the real world and seeing what it's like to work in a corporation is a big difference maker. And especially even if I consider myself when I was in high school, you know, struggling with my bipolar, not even knowing that I had bipolar disorder, and how much, you know, being involved in Bender changed my life and changed my perspective. That's what you can do for a kid. Really, you have the ability to change their outlook on life You have the ability to empower them to, you know, be proud of their disability. And I think that there's no reason not to do it.

Yeah, that's right. And you know what? I was thinking about this. You build a long-term talent pool with interns that keep coming back, coming back. There's your talent pool to hire. You will break down stigma with hiring managers. And it's just so much greatness for the students. But we couldn't do all of this without companies, and we have a leader and a company that has just supported us for so long. And I must say that Lena, Lena Fusarelli, is so dedicated to this program and has done so much for us that it is a pleasure to have you, Lena, with us representing Nova Chemicals. So thank you for supporting DMD for years. Tell us, what do you have planned for the day, Lena?

Ah, Joyce, we are so excited. I know you said at the beginning that, you know, Disability Mentoring Day is a favorite day for you and Scott and so many others. I could tell you there are so many employees at NOVA that would agree. This is our favorite day of the year. We're entering 11 years and we are thrilled to welcome back students in person this year. I know a lot of people listening might not know what it's like to host students for the day. So when they come to NOVA Chemicals, we always kind of welcome them with some morning snacks in case they need to have some breakfast when they arrive from their bus, train, We do a little introduction to explain to them, you know, what NOVA Chemicals is and who we are, but we really hit the ground running with these great career exploration stations that the students get to rotate through. So not only do they see the vast variety of jobs and skill sets NOVA has, but we really make it a point that all those other jobs within our building that help contribute to our success, so you could think of our security facilities, the café we have, our housekeeping staff. We make sure they know that all these jobs are so critical to our success. I kind of joke a little bit. You mentioned that Jenny, you know, she's young. I used to be young-ish, and we have this great young career professionals panel that, you know, 10 years later, I get kicked off the panel, but I still get to help facilitate it. But the students love to engage with these young professionals we have. They get a chance to ask them questions, you know, something as simple as, "What was it like to go on your first interview right after you left high school?" to sharing failures and lessons they've learned along the way and how their career journeys might have started in one way, but, you know, they decided it wasn't for them and it's okay to take risks and try something new. It's just really amazing kind of to see that mentorship that blooms during that panel. It transitions into our lunch where we really get that one-on-one time with the students to kind of encourage them no matter what they're pursuing post-high school, whether that's, you know, college, trade school, the straight-to-the-job apprenticeships, right? We just want to encourage them and help connect the dots so that whatever their passions might be, they can be successful as they begin to enter the workforce.

You know, when you were saying, and that's tremendous, Lena, but when you were saying that people are so excited, why? Why do you think they are? And, you know, do they enjoy having them that day? Do they feel as if it's a good business thing they're doing? What do you think? Why are they so excited?

Oh, absolutely, Joyce. Everybody, you know, I'd say on the team, and they're such a fantastic team at NOVA, they have their kind personal lives, whether, you know, it's someone in their family that has been affected by a disability, a parent, a child, or they're just truly passionate about making sure there's diversity and inclusion and equity within the company, right, in the places we operate. These kids, they're just amazing. I always tell everyone, we get far more from them when they visit us for that one day than, you know, we feel we could ever give to them. So, that passion just radiates nonstop, that everyone is so excited to give this opportunity to all those students that are participating in the day. Because I think Jenny mentioned, you never know, you can expose them to something, have that short conversation that really can impact them and change their, you know, whole life and trajectory. So it's really exciting to be a part of that.

And so, you know, They love going to Nova Chemical. I mean, that is such a big deal for them that they're going to this chemical company, and it is a big deal. And, you know, I can't thank you enough because you're helping change lives, Lena, by doing that. But you did something else that I think is so important. You did help develop the financial literacy curriculum for the advanced student leaders, which is so fantastic that you did that. In your mind, how do you think that's going to impact the students? And by the way, who else in high school gets this training? That's the thing. It's so great to tell this to people at a young age, but what do you think?

Absolutely, Joyce Bender. I always joke around with Scott and say, like, NOVA never says no. So whenever he said, you know, we're launching this Advanced Student Leaders Financial Literacy, do you think that's something NOVA can help out with? I didn't even hesitate. I said yes. And I knew that there were people all around me that I could just have a casual conversation at a lunch table one day and and there were the volunteers to help me do this. But exactly what you said, Joyce Bender, that there are tons of high school students out there who never get exposure to kind of the core basics, right? The competencies of financial literacy that are so important to their success as they begin to start their adult journeys, right? Out there in the workforce. So I really liked what the team and I were able to come up with to help them understand things from the basic concepts of What does a paycheck look like? How can I understand the money that I'll be able to get every 2 weeks? To setting a budget, right, and planning for those monthly expenses you might have if you're trying to get out on your own. Or maybe we learned a lot of kids are excited to save up for their first car purchase. We talked to them about what debits and credit cards were. And I think really one of the most important things that will have a lasting impact on the students was we made sure to spend time on the financial support that's available to them and kind of break away the stigma that exists out there in getting that help, right? It could be everything from educational support, right, from your employers to, you know, government funding that's out there to help you continue your education, to making sure there's equitable experiences for you to get the housing needs you might need to accommodate the disabilities you might have. So, it was really great to send them home not only with a session to try things out, to learn how to budget, but with actual resources that they can leverage as they go and become independent and successful in their lives.

And so, I agree. And so, as to not get anyone confused, that Joyce Bender. So, NOVA is participating in Disability Mentoring Day, and in addition, they are helping with the curriculum for the Bender Leadership Academy, where we train high school students with disabilities about the world of work, leadership, public speaking, how to deal with bullying, because the whole goal here is long-term employment, and in what we call the advanced Business Leaders class, we add this to the training. And don't we all wish— I bet parents listening are saying, oh, I wish my children had had this. But you know what? It's so great to teach them this. So, Lena, thank you again. Thank you so much. And Nova Chemical for what you're doing.

Absolutely. We're happy to be a part of it and lucky to be a part of this journey, Joyce.

Well, we're lucky to have you. And it's on the half hour, we know we have our news break on the half hour, uh, Advocacy Matters, and with our own— I say own, she's the CEO of Disability Rights Pennsylvania, but she's also our own, uh, Perijude Radesik, who I think the world of. And Perry, what news do you have for us today?

Joyce Bender, thank you. I, I always appreciate the opportunity to bring the news to your listeners. And this week, the disability community across the country is coming together to support and build the power of our community through voter registration. This week, September 12th through the 16th, is Disability Voting Rights Week. It's a national nonpartisan initiative coordinated by the American Association of People with Disabilities. It's AAPD's Rev Up Voting campaign. And this is the message for disabled voters: Your vote is your right and your vote is powerful. Now, AAPD estimates over 38 million people with disabilities are eligible to vote, but statistics showed only 17.7 million disabled people voted in 2020. So there's a gap. Could be lots of reasons for the gap, but voter registration could be one of them. Now, REV UP, what does it stand for? Register, educate, vote, use your power. That's what REV UP stands for. So Disability Voting Rights Week is a rallying call to make sure that our disabled people are registered and ready to vote. We all know advocacy matters. The deadlines to register to vote vary from state to state. Here in Pennsylvania, the deadline to change your voter registration or to register is October 24th. We really don't want you to wait. Register or change your voter registration today. It's so important to remember that if you moved, even within your own county, you need to change your address to vote in November. So where do you get information about AAPD's Disability Voting Rights Week, and the Pennsylvania links to check your voter registration, you go to disabilityrightspa.org. That's disabilityrightspa.org, and there you'll find more information about AAPD's Rev Up campaign, Disability Voting Rights Week, and Pennsylvania's online voter registration form.

Oh, that is so important, you know. Perry, I know you know very well the disability rights history in the United States. So, of course, we all know Justin Dart Jr., who is the husband, sadly passed away, but he is the living widow, er, widow is Yoshiko Dart. And Yoshiko still keeps fighting the fight for people with disabilities. But why I brought up Justin Dart, he would say constantly, "Vote as if your life depends upon it, because it does." And that is so true, especially for people with disabilities. There's so much going on that will impact and can impact you. Don't sit back and say, "Oh, I don't like this." Vote. And Perry, you know very well that even in the presidential elections, look how close the vote was.

Absolutely. Absolutely, it was.

You've got to vote. You've got to get out there and vote. And as Perry said, do not wait. What about the absentee, uh, ballot? What about that, Perry?

You know, there's, uh, at least in Pennsylvania, some confusion around that, uh, because there's been some litigation around mail-in voting and absentee voting. It's absolutely absolutely legal in Pennsylvania. It's constitutional in Pennsylvania, and it is in other states. You know, you can, as soon as you check your voter registration and know where you're, you know, where you're supposed to be voting, you can go ahead and request that absentee ballot today. You don't have to wait. You could do it today, and it'll get to your county, and then you'll be on the list as soon as those ballots are printed to mail them out to you, and return it quickly. Don't wait for the post office. Get it in there as fast as you can, and that's just as important.

One more time, how does someone register for the absentee ballot?

Yes, so you go on Pennsylvania— well, it's different in every state, but you got to find your Secretary of State's office or go to AAPD.com, and they have links to check your voter registration. Pennsylvania, you go to pavoterservices.pa.gov, and there you'll find all the information you need to get your mail-in ballot application in today.

And the deadline for registration in Pennsylvania is October 24th. Okay, remember, don't wait, don't wait. I'll kind of Things happen. And Perry, if someone finds out now or a few weeks before in Pennsylvania, for example, that there are problems or limitations, uh, for them with the poll not being accessible, would they be able to get in touch with disabilityrightspa.org?

Absolutely. Give us a call. Uh, it's 800-692-7112. 7443. You could talk to someone who's absolutely qualified to deal with your issue on voting rights, and we'd be happy to help you.

Thank you so much, Perry. We will look forward to talking to you next week.

Yeah, take care, Joyce.

Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Thank you. Uh, and there you go, Scott. We— you are involved in Rev Up.

I am, and we're very excited about that. We joined— created a Pennsylvania Coalition for REV UP, and we've had a couple of meetings so far. Very great meetings, very productive, and we'll be having another one next week. And if anybody is interested in joining for Pennsylvania, please give me a call at 412-446-4448.

And, uh, Scott, just take one more minute to explain to everyone what Rev Up is in Pennsylvania. Yeah, what is Rev Up?

Absolutely. So Rev Up is, it's a nonpartisan coalition that we started here in Pennsylvania, and it's just to get the word out there about, for people with disabilities, about their voting rights and finding their polling place, if to make sure that all the places are accessible, you know, if people have questions about if they need ID, any of those things that we're there to help everybody with that. And AAPD is the national thing. They have different coalitions throughout the United States. And as Perry June mentioned, This is more about getting the word out there, but October 24th is, is the last day to register in Pennsylvania, and November 1st is the last day to apply for a mail-in ballot.

Okay, thank you. Um, so important, so important. And remember, if you need more information, AAP.com, or in Pennsylvania, DisabilityRightsPA.org. Lena, I wanted to ask you, you also participate with the Bender Leadership Academy, is that correct?

Yes.

Yes, okay. What do you think of that? What impact does that have?

Oh, I love Bender Leadership Academy. You know, that kind of monthly touch base with the students for an hour or two that were assigned during the school year is a really great chance to kind of have some conversations with them and give them a chance to meet so many different people within our company at all different levels, right? We talk to them about subjects that's, you know, interview skills, how to be an advocate for yourself, right, when you're reaching out to employers, you know, being active in their communities as well. There's so many different topics that you get an opportunity to partnership with the schools that you're assigned. It's almost like you take the best stuff of Disability Mentoring Day, and now we get to do it more frequently on that monthly basis. So, it's really great to have that relationship with these students and also see that, you know, we get a chance to stay and hear all their different speeches and pitches they're doing to see how they go from that beginning class to the end when they get to graduate the Leadership Academy, it is just amazing to see how successful these students are. It just excites you for, you know, what they'll be contributing to the future.

And Scott, a question I have for you. What changes do you see from the beginning of the Bender Leadership Academy? And by the way, You can give them the website. We have a big initiative going on, Not Ashamed. Could you tell them about that also? But first, what changes do you see in students from when they first go to class to when we graduate?

So for our Bender Student Leaders Program, um, the last couple years it has been virtual, so we've been doing classes once a month for 7 months. So our students will start in November and then they'll graduate in May. So the classes in November, the students are still quiet, shy, sometimes a little bit immature, don't want to get on camera, their speeches are a little bit short, not talking a lot. But as we progress throughout the school year, the number one thing that I see is confidence. You know, as they move forward, they are on camera. Their speeches are getting a little bit longer. They are getting better. And by graduation, they are becoming young leaders. Their speeches are incredible. They open up about being bullied at school. They are They want the homework. They look forward to getting the assignments in the class. And at the end, you know, they do their graduation speech, and the students pick their keynote speaker. And I have been to some of the classes where the students were sad that it was ending. So it is a tremendous, tremendous amount of confidence that they are building, getting experience speaking in front of classmates. And just learning about leadership skills and getting ready for the world of work.

I agree. I mean, the difference in those students believing in themselves is, is you wouldn't think it's the same person. I'm not kidding you. Some of them will not speak and get, you know, for their speech assignment at the beginning, and then by the end they're like, phenomenal. I mean, it's believing in the person, not lowering the bar, raising the bar. So Scott, what's the website?

Our website is benderleadership.org, benderleadership.org. And then Joyce, you wanted me to mention the Not Ashamed campaign. So one of the, the things that we've been building the last couple years is the Mary Brooker Mental Health Initiative. With COVID the last couple years, you could, students, it is astronomical the, the amount of students who are having mental, mental health difficulties. So we started this campaign called #NotAshamed. And what it is, is we want people to create a video just on your phone, 15-25 seconds, and say, "Hey, I am Scott Hamerstrom and I have a mental health disability and I am not ashamed." We want to end that stigma, and we want to get the word out there. So students shouldn't be ashamed that they have a mental health disability. Adults shouldn't be ashamed that they have a mental health disability. So we have had a lot of great people who have done videos from teachers, students, business leaders, all over the, the realm. And if anybody is ever interested in doing a video, again, you can go to our website benderleadership.org, and there is information on how to create a video. Or give me a call again at 412-446-4448, and I will be glad to walk you through that.

And your email, Scott?

My email address is shammerstrom, H-A-M-M-E-R-S-T-R-O-M, as in Mary, @benderleadership.org.

Thank you so much, and I really hope you do go and make that video, even if you're saying, "I support, I support people with mental health disabilities." Yeah, to be an ally.

Everybody knows somebody with a mental health disability if they don't have one, and support them and just say, "I'm an ally." Absolutely.

And we already have from DC Congress, uh, women on and get ready. You're going to see a celebrity, but I'm not going to tell you who yet. Okay, big surprise. Um, Jenny, we talked about the students coming to the company. What impact do you think that has on the mentors, you know, on managers or directors? What impact do you think it has on them?

So I feel like using personal experience here is probably a good starting point. Um, 2 years ago was, um, the first time I got to plan Disability Mentoring Day. Um, actually 3 years ago now, 2019. However many years, time has flown by. Um, but for me personally As you said, Joyce Bender, I am relatively young in my career. I was about a year and a half into my, you know, quote-unquote, big girl job, right? And I got the opportunity to plan Disability Mentoring Day. And for me, that was huge. That was one of the, like, first big things I did that was a leadership opportunity at Highmark. And it helped me learn so much. It helped me gain new connections. I understood so much more about how our organization works. And I'm seeing this play out now with the individual who is our community relations chair. His name's Chris. I'm seeing Chris as he's planning Disability Mentoring Day this year kind of going through those same steps, right? Meeting new people, having to reach out, having to problem solve. And I think anyone who's in a BRG who's mentoring others, who is, you know, participating in something like Disability Mentoring Day, there's always a personal growth aspect. And even if you don't realize that you're growing yourself as an individual, I promise that you are.

Yeah, that is a great example. And Lena, I'll ask you, uh, why do you think it's so important and what impact do you think it has on staff?

You know, uh, you hear a lot from companies these days, right, about their diversity, equity, inclusion journey, and it's so important that those with disabilities are a part of that journey. NOVA kind of has a tagline where they say, "We're in the business of shaping a world that's better tomorrow than it is today." And an important piece of that is making sure we're getting involved with our local communities and supporting these students who will have such a huge impact on our future. You know, the students blow us away every year showing us that their abilities far exceed any limitations that they might have in life. So, it's hard to put into words what everyone gets, you know, by participating in this day. But it's just, you know, it's just an honor is the best way I could describe it in that, you know, we're happy to support this, to be a part of it, and to be a leader.

I have to ask you, first of all, Lena, tell our listeners, what is your role at NOVA?

Sure, my 9-to-5 job, I like to call it, is I'm the advisor for decision and risk analysis. So you can kind of think of it as I help anyone and everyone in the company make good decisions when it comes to spending our money.

Oh. Yeah, well, that's a good thing. That's a good thing. Good thing to know you. And Lena, not everyone is like you. If everyone was like you, we would not be in this situation where 70% of people with disabilities are still not counted in the workforce today, which is hard to imagine when there is a need for labor and there's this untapped labor pool. But even here with high school students with disabilities, you know, you're so passionate. Why is that?

You know, I was someone who grew up with a parent that had a disability. My mom unfortunately passed away actually today, 10 years ago, from primary progressive multiple sclerosis. So, I saw the way the world was, right, and having a parent with a disability. But those challenges or hardships, the silver lining in all that were, I'd like to say, people who I modeled myself after that made you want to be a part of the journey to change things for the better.

How amazing, Lena, that you are honoring your mother today. I am sure that she is smiling in heaven because here you are today talking about supporting people with disabilities and high school students with disabilities. That is an amazing testament to her. So There you go. You know, you don't know. And that's the other thing, Lena, I just want to say. People have no idea how many people at work either, A, have a disability and just haven't told anyone, or a family member. And you always need to keep that in mind because, you know, the person you may be saying, I don't want to do this, with, I don't want to be part of this, may have a disability. Always remember that. So, Jenny, I want to go back to you for one minute. Disability Mentoring Day, do you think that helps break down stigma?

Absolutely. I think even within ourselves it helps break down stigma. From a company aspect, right? Us as individuals, we're working with these students that have varying disabilities and seeing what they're capable of. Even in a, you know, very short day, you can really see the potential in somebody. And that, I think, can shift the mindset of people, whether it's, you know, conscious bias, unconscious bias, whatever it might be. You get to see firsthand that disability doesn't impact your ability to do a job. And I think even for the students, students get to meet people who have disabilities working in a professional environment and being successful.

And that is probably one of the most important pieces is for those young students with disabilities to find someone and say, "That person's like me and I can do that too." Oh, I agree with you 100% because any events I've been involved with for young people with epilepsy, they meet me, I have epilepsy, and I always say to them, "Well, you know, Epilepsy means too many neurons are firing off. So you know what that means? That means we've got the firepower. And believe me, that fits me. Firepower. And the more people around other people with epilepsy, it's just what you said, Jenny. It's, "Oh, wait a minute. Here's someone like me." It makes such a difference. It really does. Well, I want to thank all of you for being with us today and spreading the great news about Disability Mentoring Day coming up October 19th. Is that right, Scott?

That is correct.

October 19th, Disability Mentoring Day. So, Scott, what message do you have for our listeners today?

Well, first of all, I want to thank everybody for listening, and second, I want to thank Jenny and Lena for their passion and for them helping to make Disability Measurement Day successful each year. Heimark has been participating since the beginning, back probably 1999 or 2000, and Nova Chemicals, Lena, I believe you said this is the 11th year. Wow. And I also want to thank all— yes, I want to thank all the companies and educators for their time and effort to make this event successful every year. It does take— the company has spent a lot of man-hours on this volunteering to make this happen. You know, the teachers and the IU coordinators, they have a lot going on with the schools, as you know, and they have to spend extra time. But they know this is very, very important. And for them to make this happen, I want to thank them. And I also— the students who participate in Disability Mentoring Day, they get so much out of it. But, you know, talking to Elena and Jenny and all the companies and the mentors, I think they get just as much out of it as the students for Disability Mentoring Day. And I wish I had this program when I was in high school. So, again— Me too. Disability Mentoring Day, October 19th. And our website again is benderleadership.org.

And Scott, I want to thank you for all the work you do to make all of this happen, and let me tell you, it is involved. So this is involved, and Scott, you do a masterful job. Thank you so much, and we end every show with a quote, and today it is, "Find ecstasy in life. The mere sense of living is joy enough," said Emily Dickinson. This is Joyce Bender, America's Voice, where disability matters, at voiceamerica.com. Talk to you next week. And in the words of Mary Brocker, choose joy.

Voice America would like to thank you for tuning in. Please join us next Tuesday at 11 AM Pacific time and 2 PM Eastern time for another installment of Disability Matters right here on the Voice America variety channel. We are the leader in live internet talk radio. VoiceAmerica.com.