Kristan Brown
Kristan relocated to Massachusetts from her home state of Florida after earning a degree in Art Education from the University of Central Florida. She later earned a Master of Education in Fine and Performing Arts from Lesley University and went on to dedicate 20 years to teaching middle school art.
Upon leaving her teaching career, Kristan moved to New Hampshire with her two children and transitioned into a role as a direct support professional for adults with intellectual disabilities, where she discovered a new passion. As a neurodiverse individual and parent to two neurodiverse children, she has gained invaluable insights from navigating various support systems—or, often, the lack thereof. These experiences have fueled her commitment to addressing gaps in services and reducing the obstacles families face.
Kristan is deeply committed to community engagement. She currently serves as the Vice President of the Merrimack Rotary Club and as a board member of the Friends of Merrimack Parks & Recreation. Additionally, she works part-time as a caregiver, allowing her to further support individuals and families in her community.
A natural helper, Kristan aspires to support families in achieving greater freedom and reducing the long-term demands of caregiving. Her goal is to expand her knowledge and experience within existing systems to help drive meaningful improvements, while also exploring innovative alternatives for families caring for loved ones. Ultimately, she hopes to create meaningful opportunities that empower families and enhance their quality of life.
Louisa Cornblath
Louisa has spent over 15 years supporting children and adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities and complex health needs. She earned her BA in Cognitive Science from Johns Hopkins University in 2015 before beginning her MA in Special and Inclusive Education at the UCL Institute of Education the following year. Since then, she has worked internationally as a special education teacher and behavior specialist.
Growing up in a neurodiverse family, Louisa understood from an early age that people with disabilities are people first, just like everyone else. As an adult, she has continued to prioritize each individual’s personal wants and goals, even when doing so challenges standard practices. Today, these values underpin her commitment to meaningful advocacy that fosters dignity and empowerment for all.
While Louisa’s passion for advocacy was established in childhood, her interest in leadership began to develop after she entered the workforce. As a special education teacher with her own classroom, Louisa created an inclusive classroom for both students and staff alike and her experiences supporting students and staff in school systems prompted Louisa to consider how her skills could be used to effect broader, systemic change. Through her participation in NH-ME LEND, she hopes to further develop her leadership skills and expand her ability to create meaningful change on a larger scale.
Alana Dail
Alana is a master's student in Speech-Language Pathology and is from Amherst, New Hampshire. Previously, she was named a Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year, an experience that introduced her to leadership through conferences and discussions on issues affecting youth in her local community.
As a future speech-language pathologist, Alana hopes to use a holistic, team-based approach with each client, working alongside them to provide the best possible care. She is committed to helping clients and their families to develop self-advocacy skills and gain access to all resources and supports available to them. Alana believes that open and honest communication among clients, families, and care teams is essential to providing high-quality, client- and family-centered care.
Through LEND, Alana hopes to strengthen her skills in interdisciplinary practices and learn how to collaborate effectively across disciplines to improve outcomes for clients and families. She also hopes to further develop her advocacy skills so she can advocate for resources within her community and help families access the crucial resources they need.
Carolyn Day
Carolyn is a graduate student in the University of New Hampshire’s (UNH) Speech-Language Pathology program. She graduated from Gordon College in 2025 with a degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders.
Throughout her undergraduate and graduate programs, she has had the opportunity to work with individuals and their families who use Augmentative and augmentative and alternative Communication (AAC) Devices. AAC stood out to her because it can provide a voice for individuals who previously had limited or no access to communication. She has worked with AAC users who were just starting out with their devices as well as experienced users who used the technology to express complex ideas. Through these experiences, she has seen the powerful impact AAC can have on people’s lives.
Carolyn has learned the importance of listening to the voices and perspectives of people with disabilities and hopes this will guide her work as a speech-language pathologist. She is passionate about increasing access to AAC and improving the quality of services provided to AAC users so that more people have the opportunity to share their voices.
In the future, Carolyn plans to work in schools with children with a broad range of neurodevelopmental disabilities. She hopes the LEND program will help her better understand neurodevelopmental disabilities from multiple perspectives, allowing her to take a more nuanced and family-centered approach in her future work.
Heidi Falter
Heidi Falter is currently pursuing her Master of Social Work at the University of New Hampshire after spending more than 35 years leading education, learning, and organizational development programs. Throughout her career, she has had the privilege of mentoring others, building collaborative teams, and creating opportunities for people to learn and grow. While that work has been incredibly rewarding, Heidi realized that she wanted the next chapter of my career to focus more directly on supporting children, individuals with disabilities, and their families.
When reflecting on what led her to social work and the NH-ME LEND program, Heidi always comes back to the people who believed in her when she was growing up. Her family experienced significant hardship, and there were times when the support and encouragement of caring professionals helped them navigate challenges that felt overwhelming. Heidi remembers the consistency, compassion, and hope that a caring caseworker brought into her life, and those experiences have stayed with her ever since. They taught her that one person who truly listens, advocates, and believes in a family can have a lasting impact, inspiring her lifelong commitment to helping others.
Over the years, Heidi’s professional experiences, volunteer work with Birthday Wishes, and opportunities to mentor students and colleagues have reinforced her belief that every individual deserves to be treated with dignity, respect, and compassion. These experiences have strengthened her commitment to equity, inclusion, and ensuring that children and families have access to the support and opportunities they need to thrive. They have also shaped her approach to working with others—one that is collaborative, family-centered, strengths-based, and grounded in the belief that individuals and families are the experts in their own lives.
Heidi believes leadership is about building trust, creating meaningful partnerships, and helping others recognize their own strengths. She enjoys collaborating across disciplines because no single profession has all the answers, and the best outcomes happen when families, self-advocates, and professionals learn from one another.
As a LEND trainee, Heidi hopes to strengthen her interdisciplinary leadership skills while learning from self-advocates, families, faculty, and fellow trainees. Her long-term goal is to advocate for more equitable, accessible, and inclusive systems of care so that every child, every family, and every individual has the opportunity to thrive. She is excited to contribute her leadership experience, curiosity, and commitment to lifelong learning as part of the NH-ME LEND community.
Jill Hamm
Jill holds bachelor’s degrees in Communication Sciences and Disorders and Child Development and Family Relations from the University of Maine, as well as a master’s degree in Special Education with a focus on Early Intervention. Her professional career has been dedicated to supporting young children and families through evidence-based early intervention and special education practices.
While completing her master’s degree, Jill was a member of a research team implementing the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), an evidence-based early intervention approach designed to support toddlers with autism and their families. Through this experience, she developed specialized expertise in ESDM and became a nationally certified ESDM therapist.
Following the completion of the research project, Jill continued this work as part of the ESDM-C team, helping implement the program statewide as an Early Childhood Special Educator with Child Development Services (CDS)/EI4ME. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the ESDM-C team adapted and transformed the traditional ESDM delivery model into the Parent-Implemented Early Start Denver Model (P-ESDM). This approach incorporates the parent coaching model already used throughout early intervention at CDS/EI4ME in Maine, empowering parents and caregivers to become active partners in their children’s intervention and development.
During her time with CDS/EI4ME, Jill became an Early Intervention Service Coordinator. This experience expanded her understanding beyond direct intervention and provided her with valuable knowledge of the processes, procedures, and requirements associated with federal and state Part C special education laws and regulations. In this role, Jill gained experience coordinating services, collaborating with families and multidisciplinary teams, and navigating the systems that support infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.
Outside of her professional life, Jill is a proud mother of three children, and being a parent has deeply influenced both her personal and professional perspectives. Her youngest son is beginning his senior year of high school and is working toward earning his private pilot’s license. Her daughter is beginning her sophomore year at the University of Maine, where she is studying microbiology. Her oldest son serves his community as a paramedic/ firefighter in Bangor. Jill and her husband recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary with a trip to Ireland and Scotland.
Brian Harnish
Brian Harnish was born in Bangor, Maine, and currently resides in Orono. He has spina bifida. Brian has extensive experience with disability advocacy and is familiar with the legislative process. He has been involved with SUFU (Speaking up For Us) for about seven years and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors.
Brian has also worked for the Center for Community Inclusion & Disability Studies (CCIDS) on a project called Maine Works for Youth. His work with CCIDS helped launch his journey in disability advocacy. In addition, he has worked for Disability Rights Maine as a part-time training coordinator focused on person-centered planning and supporting individuals to become more actively involved in developing their own plans.
Brian believes strongly in the importance of disability, inclusion, and advocacy. He wants people with disabilities, including himself and his peers, to be fully included in society. He is particularly passionate about representation on boards and committees and believes that people with disabilities should have a meaningful role in the decision-making processes of organizations that address disability-related issues.
Brian values hearing perspectives and ideas from a variety of sources and enjoys working collaboratively with others. After LEND, he hopes to become involved in efforts to improve physical accessibility in his community, perhaps by consulting with businesses to help them consider not only what meets ADA requirements but also what is functionally accessible for people with various types of mobility impairments.
Brian hopes to gain knowledge and build meaningful connections through LEND that will support his future advocacy efforts. He also hopes to play a role in changing people's attitudes about people with disabilities and demonstrating that they are capable of far more than they are often given credit for.
Margaret Heinz
Margaret (Maggie) earned her BS in Biology from Valparaiso University in 2020, where she graduated as an Interdisciplinary Honors College Scholar. She later completed her MA in Biology with a concentration in Neurobiology at Washington University in St. Louis in 2022. Maggie is currently a Health Professions Continuing Education student at the University of New Hampshire and plans to complete the program in December 2027 before pursuing medical school.
Her passion for neurodevelopmental medicine grew during graduate school, when she worked as a research assistant in a developmental biology laboratory studying autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in utero. At Washington University in St. Louis, Maggie also co-founded the Medical Students with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses (MSDCI) chapter at the School of Medicine. As the chapter's Accessibility Chair and liaison to Disability Resources, and while also serving as a Graduate Assistant, she collaborated with students and faculty to improve accessibility, support disability accommodations, and foster a more inclusive campus community.
Her advocacy is informed by both her professional and lived experiences. Maggie hopes to become a physician dedicated to improving access to care for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disabilities. She is especially passionate about addressing disparities in diagnosis and services for underserved communities, ensuring that race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status does not limit access to timely evaluation and support.
Through the NH-ME LEND program, she looks forward to strengthening her leadership skills while deepening her understanding of neurodevelopmental disabilities, family-centered care, and disability policy. She also hopes to continue advocating for students with disabilities by participating in or establishing an MSDCI chapter during medical school.
Outside of her academic interests, Maggie enjoys working with her dog in service dog training and building friendships within the autistic community.
Ty Hetrick
Ty is a graduate occupational therapy student with a background in neurodevelopmental disabilities, behavioral health, and mixed-methods research on anomalous sensory experiences. His professional life has been shaped by years of working in neuro-affirming environments, including supporting children with disabilities at a YMCA camp and serving as a peer mentor in the UNH4U program at UNH. He currently works as a camp counselor at Slovenski Camps in Maine, where he is developing his interpersonal and leadership skills. Ty has a strong passion for music, art, and dance- practices that have shaped his self-expression and the way he supports others in recognizing their strengths and pursuing their interests.
Growing up with family members with disabilities taught Ty early on to value differences and to see the brilliance of divergent minds. These experiences, along with mentoring youth with autism, ADHD, Down syndrome, and other neurodevelopmental disabilities, have shaped his commitment to inclusion and advocacy. In each role, Ty has led through empathy- modeling neuro-affirming, trauma-informed, and strength-based approaches that emphasize collaboration and mutual respect.
Ty’s motivation for advocacy stems from witnessing firsthand the shortcomings of some public education systems and understanding how deeply a supportive environment can influence development. He hopes to contribute to communities where individuals are nourished, understood, and empowered.
Through LEND, Ty hopes to strengthen his leadership and collaborative skills, deepen his understanding of neurodevelopmental disabilities, and gain the tools needed to influence systems that impact neurodivergent individuals and their families. After LEND, he hopes to build communities rooted in reciprocal support and to shape inclusive educational and therapeutic environments. Ultimately, Ty hopes to contribute to the creation of a world where all minds are supported to thrive.
Tim Houle
Tim Houle is from Kingston, NH, and graduated from Raymond High School in 2007. Tim has cerebral palsy, which is a disability that affects the way he walks and talks. Tim’s hobbies include reading comic books, spending time with friends and family, and his girlfriend, listening to music, and watching pro wrestling. Tim goes to Camp Allen every year in the summer for vacation for 2 weeks. Camp Allen has a special place in Tim’s heart because he makes new friends, does arts and crafts, goes swimming, sings songs by the campfire, and many other things.
Having cerebral palsy has been tough for Tim most of his life, but he does his best to have positive thoughts. It's somewhat frustrating when things like sidewalks, bathrooms, and other things are not easy to access most of the time.
Tim is the former chair of the New Hampshire Developmental Disabilities Council and a co-author of the Leading Our Way to Our Own Health Project, sponsored by UNH.
Tim wants to join NH-ME LEND because he wants to continue his knowledge of disability advocacy work, working with families of children with developmental and intellectual disabilities to make healthcare more accessible and get rid of some of the barriers in the disability community.
Disability Rights are human rights. Disability work is important to Tim and very rewarding. Tim understands that people with disabilities already have a hard enough life, and certain people and things just make it even more difficult. Tim believes that these barriers need to be removed now because people with disabilities have every right to a decent life and to be happy.
Elizabeth Hull
Elizabeth Hull is a recent graduate of the University of New Hampshire and is currently pursuing her advanced standing master’s degree in Social Work. She has extensive practice working with children and families through experiential learning opportunities with the Community Action Partnership of Strafford County (CAPSC), Big Brothers’, Big Sisters’ of New Hampshire and Vermont, and the UNH Institute on Disability.
Previously, Elizabeth facilitated play therapy with children at Cedarcrest Center for Children with Disabilities and CAPSC. Continuing to engage with children and their families to facilitate social-emotional learning and increase access to community resources is one of Elizabeth’s greatest professional aspirations. She also hopes to pursue interests in the education sector, as well as child development and behavioral psychology. Outside of work, Elizabeth enjoys participating in the fiber arts, spending time with her family, and getting outside.
As a member of the neurodivergent community, many of her goals are inspired by her experience in primary and secondary education, particularly working with IEP teams. Elizabeth is passionate about implementing inclusive educational practices, and she hopes she can help empower individuals who experience challenges living in a neuro-typical world.
Shannon Landry
Shannon Landry lives in Brunswick, Maine, with her husband, son, and many animals. Shannon is currently a student in the MSW program at the University of Maine, where she holds a 4.0 GPA and was recently inducted into Phi Kappa Phi, one of the nation's oldest and most selective national honor societies. Shannon has several years of experience working in elections, and she is especially passionate about making voting and the democratic process more accessible for those who live with disabilities.
Shannon is a Shared Living Provider for her son, who lives with multiple disabilities, and she has been a strong advocate for him and others to help make her community a place where everyone belongs. Shannon hopes to continue her career and become a policy analyst or draft policy that would help shape a more inclusive future in her community and across the state of Maine.
Shannon volunteers at a local shelter, helping dogs get adopted. She also attends Special Olympics events with her son, who competes in equestrian and alpine ski racing. Shannon is a moderate baker who loves to share what she makes, and her home is a safe haven for animals and bees, complete with a fairy garden in her backyard.
Grace Lynch
Grace is an occupational therapy student at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), where she is pursuing her Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree. She previously earned her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Science from UNH. Grace’s path toward occupational therapy began in high school, when she worked at a therapeutic riding barn and had the opportunity to work with children with disabilities. This experience introduced her to the importance of supporting individuals in meaningful activities and helped shape her interest in occupational therapy. Grace has always known that she wanted to work with children and support families, and she is passionate about helping individuals participate in the activities that are meaningful to them each day.
Through her fieldwork experiences, particularly in pediatric outpatient care at Professional Therapy Associates, she has continued to develop her interest in working with children and families. Her work with youth programs at UNH Campus Recreation has strengthened her leadership skills through program planning, staff support, and collaboration.
These experiences have strengthened Grace’s commitment to advocacy and family-centered care. She believes that everyone should have access to the same opportunities to participate in the activities and experiences that are meaningful to them. She is passionate about identifying and reducing barriers that may limit participation and finding ways to increase engagement for all individuals. Through LEND, she hopes to strengthen her advocacy and interdisciplinary collaboration skills while learning how to better support children and families. In the future, Grace hopes to work as a pediatric occupational therapist and continue growing as a clinician, advocate, and leader within the profession.
Victoria Petricca
Victoria is a graduate student in UNH’s Communication Sciences and Disorders master's program and lives in Dover, New Hampshire. Before graduate school, she served as an Intelligence Collector in the U.S. Army, where she earned an associate degree in Levantine Arabic from the Defense Language Institute and a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics at Rutgers University. In 2024, she deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. This combat deployment shaped her view on our moral responsibility to advocate for those who are unable to advocate for themselves. Her passion for language and helping others ultimately led her to pursue a career in speech-language pathology.
As an intelligence collector and team leader, Victoria coordinated operations for a team of five to six soldiers and collaborated across multiple intelligence disciplines to answer brigade-level information gaps. These experiences prepared her to work effectively within interdisciplinary teams, a skill she is excited to continue developing through the LEND program. During graduate school, her clinical experiences with individuals with disabilities deepened her commitment to advocacy. She believes that every individual deserves to be heard, understood, and empowered to participate fully in their communities. Those experiences inspired her to pursue LEND, in hopes of improving outcomes for individuals with disabilities and their families.
Victoria's approach to care is rooted in listening first and meeting individuals and families where they are. She believes in a family-centered, neurodiversity-affirming approach that values each person's strengths while supporting meaningful participation in daily life. Through LEND, she hopes to strengthen her leadership and interdisciplinary collaboration skills while gaining a deeper understanding of community resources and systems of care. She plans to use these experiences to advocate for children with disabilities and their families, help them navigate complex systems, and promote policies that provide access to family-centered services.
Syrena Piper
Syrena Piper is a graduate student attending The University of Maine at Farmington, currently pursuing a Counseling-Psychology Master’s Degree with a concentration in creative arts. Previously, Syrena earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social and Behavioral Science at the University of Southern Maine.
There have been other valuable programs that Syrena has had the pleasure of working with. One of which has been her training as a Family Support Navigator through Maine Parent Federation. There, Syrena acquired strategies to assist a variety of families in accessing valuable resources to support their specific needs.
During Syrena’s undergraduate internship at Andwell, she initiated and implemented sensory-based enrichment activities for preschoolers with varying levels of ability. Through Advocates for Children, she cultivated and organized a community space for young children and their parents.
Syrena finds it imperative that we consider the unique needs of individuals and their families. From the LEND program, it is her goal to strengthen leadership skills in advocacy and policy. As a counselor, she hopes to help those with verbal communication challenges and families who are living with neurodevelopmental disabilities.
As a parent of a young adult son with developmental disabilities, Syrena has experienced how challenging it can be for families navigating support for their loved ones. It is important to Syrena to be a proficient guide for others, helping families and individuals minimize any lapse in services. To this end, it is her personal belief that every family or individual be supported with a knowledgeable, strength-based approach guided by empathy and compassion.
Madilyn Robinson
Madilyn Robinson has a bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in psychology from Stonehill College. Madilyn is currently a Genetic Counseling Assistant in the Medical Genetics Department at Dartmouth Health Clinic in Manchester, NH. Her department treats many adult and pediatric patients with neurodevelopmental conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Fragile X syndrome, gross motor delays, and more. Through her position, Madilyn works with individuals with developmental disabilities, family members, social workers, and therapeutic schools to schedule appointments, ensure informed consent and sample collections are completed, and assist with follow-up care through effective communication and care coordination.
Working as a summer camp counselor in high school gave Madilyn the opportunity to work with children who had different developmental, physical, and behavioral needs. She got hands-on experience helping to provide children with small accommodations and encouragement. That experience helped Madilyn to see the difference she could provide towards supporting a child’s comfort and outlook that day, which reaffirmed her interest and passion towards helping others.
For the past three years, Madilyn has volunteered as a Crisis Counselor through the Crisis Text Line. She spends several hours every week aiding teenagers and adults who need support, whether they’re in a crisis or just need someone to talk to. As a counselor, she works to actively listen, provide constructive resources, and guide individuals through de-escalation and problem-solving techniques.
Madilyn plans to earn a master’s degree in Genetic Counseling and work at a clinical practice, where she can advocate for progress and change in genetics and healthcare. As a LEND trainee, she hopes to improve my leadership and communication skills to better support individuals with disabilities and their families.
Anna Whitely
Anna is a graduate student at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), pursuing a Doctorate degree in Occupational Therapy. She also completed her undergraduate studies at UNH, earning a bachelor’s degree in occupational science. As part of her academic training, Anna has completed two Level II occupational therapy fieldwork placements, one in skilled nursing and the other in a pediatric outpatient clinic and school setting. Through these experiences, Anna has learned the importance of advocacy for individuals with disabilities, strengthening her commitment to inclusive care.
Anna was first introduced to occupational therapy as a high school volunteer at a preschool for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Since then, she has continued to pursue opportunities to work alongside individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, further strengthening her passion for advocacy, inclusion, and family-centered care.
Beyond her work within the occupational therapy field, Anna has also explored applied behavior analysis (ABA) as a registered behavior technician (RBT). Through this professional experience, she worked closely with children with varying presentations of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families.
As a LEND trainee, Anna is excited to participate in interdisciplinary work to support individuals with disabilities and advocate for inclusive policies and systems of care.
Hilary Wieczorek
Hilary resides in Waterville, Maine, with her husband and three children, volunteering and consulting in development at her older children's Montessori school. Hilary earned her Bachelor's degree in English from Middlebury College in 2001, and she received her Master's degree in International Education from George Washington University in 2012 while serving as acting assistant director for the East Asia and Pacific region of the Fulbright Scholar program. For more than 25 years, she has worked and volunteered in the education sector both in the United States and abroad, building experience in teaching, higher education administration, international exchange, and elementary school policy-making. She has also served as a board member/chair of several non-profit organizations, and she approaches new experiences with professionalism, curiosity, and a desire to help others.
Driven by the medical complexity of her youngest child, who has physical and intellectual disabilities as well as several autoimmune diseases, Hilary has pivoted to more of an advocacy and policy focus, and she is passionate about ensuring that all children in Maine have access to the resources, opportunities, and insurance coverage needed for a better quality of life. She is known for her ability to multitask while working collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders, and she brings positivity, dedication, and perseverance to everything she does. In June 2026, she graduated from the Maine State Parent Ambassador program, gaining fresh perspectives on childhood disability challenges and advocacy opportunities from her mentors and fellow trainees. Hilary is delighted to join the NH-ME LEND program, where she hopes to strengthen her leadership skills in order to effect positive change on behalf of children with disabilities and their families.
