Hello E- Advocates, my name is Skye Andre, and I am looking forward to my year with Emmaus Homes and the Advocacy program! I am in my second year of my Master of Social Work at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. Through my studies, I have grown passionate about nonprofit work, and the impact organizations like Emmaus Homes can have on communities. Through my internship, I hope to deepen my understanding of policy work, advocacy, and self-advocacy.

Prior to joining the Emmaus team, I was an intern with the St. Louis Arc’s Family Support Department. During my time at the St. Louis Arc, I worked with many different programs serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities of various ages, helping to empower individuals and their families through weekly challenges and successes. Among the groups I assisted, the Self-Advocacy group taught me the importance of self-empowerment, particularly for individuals with developmental disabilities. During my time with the group, we covered many topics such as personal independence, city transportation, and the rich history of advocates paving the way to disability rights and inclusion. When I attended Disability Rights Legislation Day last March, our team connected self-advocates with their own state legislators and supported them as they shared their personal experiences and concerns faced while living in their county.

Through the St. Louis Arc, I connected with Christina Ingoglia, the Director of Advocacy at Emmaus, who encouraged me to intern under her at Emmaus Homes. Through my internship with Emmaus, I hope to further my understanding of policy change, community growth, promotion of self-advocacy and assist in progressing the mission of Emmaus Homes.