Sam’sSibsStickTogether

PanelistBiographies

SamanthaEls-moderatorStudent

Samantha(Sam)ElswasbornonMay26,199intheUnitedKingdomandmovedtoFloridaintheUnitedStateswhenshewas8yearsold.ShegraduatedwithhonorsfromThePineSchoolandhasbeenattendingStanfordUniversitysinceAugust2017.SamismajoringinHumanBiologywithaconcentrationinGlobalPublicHealth.SheisamemberoftheWomen’sRugbyteamandspentasemesterabroaddoingresearchinAustralia.SheisfluentinAfrikaansandEnglish,andproficientinSpanish

andAmericanSignLanguage.Samisoneofthehostsof¨SamsSibsStickTogether,¨awebinarseriessponsoredbyElsforAutismandtheAutismScienceFoundation,whichsupportssiblingsofpeoplewithautismspectrumdisorder.

EveeBakStudent

Eveeisacollegestudent,asister,adaughter,skateboarderandpaddle-boarder.ShegrewupinPennsylvaniaandiscurrentlyattendingtheUniversityofPittsburghwheresheisstudyingbiologywiththegoalofbecominganinfectiousdiseasedoctor.Sheisalsopassionateaboutresearchandforseveralyearsorganizedthe“ScoringGoalsforAutism”dayforfamiliesacrossthespectrumtojointogethertoplaysoccer.

MaximilianBazilStudent

MaxisaDNArepairscientistatMemorialSloanKetteringCancerCenterstartinghisgraduatedegreesoonatMountSinai.Hisyoungerbrother,Matthew,hasaformofautismthatrequiresconstantcareandisbelievedtoderivefromamutationintheCHD8gene.Matthew,whileimmeasurablytaller,isayearyoungerthanMaxat20yearsoldandistrulyagentlegiant.

NathanBlissStudent

NathanwillbeajunioratTexasA&MUniversitystudyingbiomedicalengineering.Hewasinspiredbyhisbrother,Charles,whowasdiagnosedwithPhelanMcDermidSyndrome.AsaresultCharleshasseveredevelopmentaldisability,epilepsy,limitedmobilityandspeech,amongothersymptoms.NathanspentlastsummerworkinginalabatBaylorCollegeofMedicineinHoustonexaminingthefunctionofgenesinvolvedinneurodevelopment.YoucanreadmoreaboutNathanhere:https://engineering.tamu.edu/news/2019/09/a-brothers-love-researching-for-a-cure.html

LucyHatchellAttorney

LucyHatchelljoinedDRNCin2015asadisabilitylawfellowontheeducationteam.Afterherfellowship,shestayedonasavaluedmemberoftheteamworkingtoresolvespecialeducationanddisciplineissues.Hatchell,anativeofChapelHill,N.C.,receivedherbachelor’sdegreeinjournalismfromIndianaUniversityandherlawdegreefromUNCSchoolofLaw.HatchellworkedinCaliforniaaftercollege,andmovedbacktoNorthCarolinatoattendlawschool.Herbrotherhasautismand,asaresult,Hatchellhasalwaysbeenpassionateaboutadvocatingforindividualswithdisabilities.

AmandaLopezSLP

AmandaLopezisaSpeechandLanguagePathologistcurrentlyworkingatTheLearningCenterattheElsCenterofExcellence.ShegrewupinKeyWest,Floridawithhermother,fatherandtwoyoungerbrothers.Theoldestofherbrothers,Georgie,wasdiagnosedwithAutismattheageoftwowhenAmandawassixyearsold.Shecreditsherbrother,Georgie,greatlyforunlockingherpassionandpurposetohelpherstudentsfindtheirvoice.ShereceivedherundergraduatedegreeinCommunicationSciencesandDisordersandherMaster’sdegreeinSpeechLanguagePathologyfromFloridaStateUniversity.Inhergraduatestudies,shecompletedworkonagrantspecializinginbuildingthecapacityofSLPstoaddresstheneedsofindividualswithautismspectrumdisordersandtheirfamilies.AmandahascompletedherfourthyearworkinginthefieldandlooksforwardtoafulfillingcareerworkingtoenhancethelivesofindividualswithAutism.

LaurenSingerstudentLaurenisasenioratYale,wheresheismajoringinCognitiveScience.HersisterJodiehasintellectualdisabilityandautism,andLaurenhasvolunteeredinprogramsforbothchildrenwithdevelopmentaldisabilitiesandtheirsiblings.AtYale,sheisaresearchassistantattheYaleChildStudyCenter.Laurenplanstobecomeaphysician.

AmyUrsittiAmyisecstatictobeapartoftheSibsStickTogetherinitiativeasapanelist!SheisoriginallyfromDover,MA,andsheiscurrentlyajunioratEmoryUniversityinAtlanta,GAstudyingNeuroscience&BehavioralBiologyandClassicsonthepre-medicaltrack.SheisalsosistertotheamazingJack,whoinspireshereveryday.Outsideofschool,sheenjoysdistancerunning,servingasthepresidentofEmory’schapterofBestBuddies,andconductingresearchattheEmoryAutismCenter.Sheissogratefulfortheopportunitytodiscussvarioustopicswithotherpanelists!