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On May 11th, 2026, UCLA’s Disability Studies program hosted a virtual alumni panel that brought together graduates of the program to reflect on how disability studies has shaped their academic, professional, and personal journeys. The event offered a valuable opportunity for current students to directly engage with alumni working across diverse fields, including healthcare, the entertainment industry, and doctoral research, as they discussed the real-world impact of their education. The panel featured Kevin Hans Waitkuweit, Christopher Ikonomou, Rowan Smith, and Shannon Vo, who each brought thoughtful, distinct perspectives rooted in their unique professional paths. Kevin Hans Waitkuweit, who is currently a doctoral candidate in a Disability Studies PhD program, discussed how his undergraduate minor provided an invaluable academic foundation, making him deeply familiar with foundational literature before entering graduate school. He reflected on his first full-time role out of college working for an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy company, which gave him a direct opportunity to observe the structural tensions between heavily medicalized views of autism and the social model of disability. As a researcher, Kevin highlighted his recent work with a Spanish-language outreach program, where he studied how a lack of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) awareness impacts rights usage within Latino communities in the United States. Christopher Ikonomou, who is currently working in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, shared his experiences as an advocate working to disrupt interpersonal and systemic ableism in corporate media spaces. While at UCLA, Christopher was heavily involved in campus activism with the Disabled Student Union, majoring in communication and taking practical film courses to focus his career path. He credited his disability studies toolkit with helping him introduce accessible practices into mainstream spaces, notably through his internship with SAG-AFTRA where he authored a highly utilized, permanent how-to guide for making the actors’ union’s social media platforms fully accessible.
Rowan Smith, MPH, is a disability rights consultant, inclusion specialist, and Project Coordinator for the DDS-funded Innovative Peer Navigator Employment Pathway (IPNEP) at the USC University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, based at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA USC UCEDD). In this role, she collaborates with PIs Dr. Betz and Dr. Mirzaian to develop transferable curricula while supervising Peer Navigators to improve healthcare transition outcomes and competitive employment for individuals with disabilities. Rowan brings over 15 years of community expertise spanning personalized, person-centered delivery, advocacy, and state policy implementation. Her commitment began at UCLA, where she earned a BA in Theater Design and Production with a minor in Disability Studies. While there, she received the Samuel Orschin Scholarship for a research project on post-high school transition programming, which fueled her passion for adult support systems. Her foundational experience includes volunteering with Villa Esperanza’s Adult Day program, managing safety and operations across 72 job sites for the Tierra del Sol Foundation, and serving as an HCBS Manager and Service Coordinator within the California Regional Center system. To scale her impact, Rowan earned an MPH in Health Services and Policy from the USC Keck School of Medicine, completing her CHLA practicum and a capstone project analyzing Lanterman Act service barriers. Alongside her institutional leadership, she acts as a strategic policy consultant for the Burbank Unified School District, SPEDex, and Disability Voices United, intentionally embedding herself within the community to ensure her administrative strategies directly amplify and honor the self-determined, authentic voices of disabled individuals and their families.
Shannon Vo, who currently works in healthcare, emphasized how the social model of disability serves as a powerful framework for restructuring traditional patient care. During her undergraduate studies, Shannon balanced multiple intersecting clinical interests before her internship at Bridges Academy helped her build the practical skills and confidence needed to launch her career. Working later as a direct support professional in Westwood, she realized her passion for bridging physical and mental health systems together, which ultimately led her toward psychiatric nursing, where she regularly applies person-centered planning to empower patient autonomy.
The alumni panelists also addressed the realities of transitioning from undergraduate life to the professional world, noting that while public visibility of disability is increasing, systemic advocacy remains deeply necessary. They emphasized the value of building strong networks early, leveraging relationships with capstone advisors and peers, and treating the small, interconnected Disability Studies community as a durable source of mutual support. Whether entering competitive job markets or pursuing advanced degrees, the alumni illustrated how a disability studies background functions as a vital asset for creating accessible, inclusive spaces outside the university bubble.
We would like to thank our moderator, Lonnell Edwards, and panelists for making the time to speak with and inspire our current Disability Studies students.
