Maria Mesa, Ph.D. | Jessica Starkie
As educators, we can only move away from a Deficit-Minded approach to an Equity Minded practice by first becoming aware of our biases and how we respond to cultural and ability- diverse students. Have you heard anyone say, “She’ll never be a nurse because of disability.” Or “He has PTSD because he told me he is a veteran”. Instead of assuming what we don’t know, we need to acknowledge the value of our students with disabilities in our classrooms. Equity does not only suggest that we ‘level the playing field’, but that we affirm by inclusion, the strengths, experiences, cultural traditions and identities that our students walk into our classrooms or offices with. We hope to share equity minded strategies for the inclusion of students with disabilities to encourage institutional change beginning in the classroom and our student support offices.
Dr. Maria Mesa is the Director of ACCESSibility Services at Pikes Peak Community College (PPCC). Through her leadership, her team ensures that equitable access for students is not only provided but becomes a mindset. She trains faculty on understanding the needs of students with disabilities while acknowledging the value they bring to PPCC. She is enthusiastic to push toward equity minded teaching and the inclusion of students with unique abilities. Being a first generation, Asian/Pacific Islander from Guam, Dr. Mesa is proud to have earned her Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership, an M.Ed. in Disability Services and a BA in Special Education.
Jessica Starkie, BS is a Disability Specialist at Pikes Peak Community College. After moving from Illinois to Colorado in 2003 she began working with students with disabilities and has continued to strive for equal access for all students. Before working with college students, Jessica worked with students with disabilities at the high school level and has developed a passion for helping them transition into college. By creating and fostering partnerships with high schools to support and educate staff and families on accessing disability services in higher education, traditional and concurrently enrolled students are offered a more equitable access to their education.