Chapter 15 Conversation – From Small Town to Big Opportunities: Self-Advocacy in College | Embracing Your Different Ability® Artwork

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Why am I different? Why do things have to be so difficult? Am I dumb? Why am I scared? Will it be this hard forever? Will I ever find the help I need to succeed? When will being different be accepted? Welcome to The Different Ability® Podcast where we will answer all of these questions and a whole lot more! Each week host Katey Fortun brings you tips and tricks on how to navigate being different, along with inspiring stories of guests that are living an amazing life having Different Abilities of their own. Parents and Educators of kids with Different Abilities share their stories to encourage others that they are not alone and we can all get through this together! Katey, who has dyslexia, shares her personal Different Ability stories to show you that being different is a gift, being different is amazing and using your Different Abilities, you too can create and live the life you have always dreamed about! Katey believes that everyone has Different Abilities and it's time to let our Different Abilities shine bright! You are amazing, you are important, you are strong, you are smart and the world needs you just the way you were made! Are you ready to be inspired and encouraged to be the person you were made to be, Different Abilities and all? We know you're ready, so come along, we are all in this together! "You can do anything you put your mind to, with a lot of hard work, determination and never giving up! It's not your disability, it's your Different Ability®!" - Katey

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The Different Ability® Podcast

Chapter 15 Conversation – From Small Town to Big Opportunities: Self-Advocacy in College | Embracing Your Different Ability®

December 14, 2025 • Katey Fortun • Season 6 • Episode 242

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In this episode of The Different Ability® Podcast, Katey and her mom, Lynn, explore Chapter 15 of Embracing Your Different Ability®. They discuss the mental shift required when transitioning from the supportive environment of high school to advocating for yourself in college. Katey shares how early experiences practicing handshakes and introductions built her confidence in meeting professors, strategies for students who feel anxious about self-advocacy, and tips for creating meaningful relationships with educators and mentors. This conversation highlights the power of self-advocacy, confidence-building, and proactive communication in college and beyond.

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