Correspondents are people with disabilities from the U.S. who will be traveling to another country this year for international exchange and who love to capture their experiences and stories – through words, photos, video, and other media – to share with others. Read more about their passions and pursuits below!
Johna Wright
Occupation: University professor and coordinator of fellowships and scholarships at Mercer University, as well as an NCDE externship alumni and a lover of travel.
Passions: Getting to promote international exchange on her campus and exposing students with and without disabilities to accessibility challenges and wins around the world.
Exchange Experience: Johna will be sharing highlights from her summer leading service-learning trips abroad with the Mercer on Mission program, including teaching students how to give first aid lessons in Roma communities in Greece, and then working with Ukrainian refugees in Tblisi, Georgia.
In Johna’s words: “In addition to making new friends and bonding with my students, I am looking forward to teaching my students that it is possible for people with disabilities to travel abroad independently and even give service to others, as opposed to always being on the receiving end of a service.”
Nathaniel Kianovsky
Occupation: Rising Senior at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut and majors in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies.
Passions: Russian film and literature; playing multiple musical instruments and performing in two a cappella groups on campus.
Exchange Experience: Nathaniel will share posts highlighting travels to Daugavpils, Latvia and living with a host family as part of a Russian language immersion program.
In Nathaniel’s words: “I hope to leave the program with an improved language-speaking ability and a better, more first-hand, cultural understanding of Russian family cultural life and Russian life in the diaspora.”
Dexter Kennedy
Occupation: Rising junior at Lafayette College studying Psychology and Art History; pursuing a career that entails travel and helping others.
Passions: Going to museums, theater shows, concerts, sports matches, and the great outdoors!
Exchange Experience: Dexter will describe what it’s like to study and intern abroad in London to develop an understanding of how cultures outside the United States experience healthcare systems.
In Dexter’s words: “More than anything I want to learn about how people live, love, and enjoy life outside of U.S. culture. This will be my first time ever being outside of the U.S., and hopefully the first step in a long journey of travel experiences.”
Stephen Proski
Occupation: An artist who works across painting, sculpture, installation, and text, having completed an MFA program at Boston University last year.
Passions: Disability justice and providing accessible art experiences to blind/low vision people. Stephen hopes to one day become an arts educator for blind people, while maintaining a studio practice.
Exchange Experience: Stephen received a Fulbright award to travel to Warsaw, Poland to research architectural ceramics and mosaics, specifically factories that once housed blind/disabled workers following the reconstruction of the country after World War II.
In Stephen’s words: “I’m looking forward to the opportunity of traveling abroad and being engaged in an immersive research experience, connecting with my heritage, and continued personal growth.”
Stay tuned for updates from these Correspondents in future issues of Access to Exchange and on MIUSA’s social media channels!
