DO-IT Scholar Profile: Dustine 2025

[MUSIC PLAYING]

SPEAKER: DO-IT Scholar
Profile: Dustine.

For more than 30 years,
the University

of Washington's Disabilities,
Opportunities, Internetworking

and Technology Center,
also known as DO-IT,

has hosted programs to
promote equal access

within challenging
post-secondary programs

and careers.

Some projects work
directly with students,

such as DO-IT Scholars.

This video features a DO-IT
Scholar named Dustine.

DUSTINE: My name is Dustine,
and I'm a student here

at the University of
Washington School of Law.

I'm pursuing a
Juris Doctor degree.

I'm hoping to
graduate in June 2024.

From the classes, what I've
learned is learning how to--

well, one of the big things
is to be a self-advocate.

You've got to
advocate for yourself.

I joined DO-IT when I was
a junior in high school,

so that was around
spring time, 2013.

I went back to DO-IT
the following summer.

It became somewhat of a
summer tradition for me,

at least, because I went back
to Summer Study, helped out

as a member of the
staff for through,

I think, summer of 2018, which
was right around the time

that I graduated undergrad here
at the University of Washington.

One thing that has me coming
back to DO-IT all these years

is just knowing that it's
kind of where my roots are.

Especially as a person
with a disability,

Asperger's syndrome or autism
spectrum disorder as it's

now known.

But also just knowing
that with DO-IT,

it's also where I first
learned about disability rights

and history.

And so in undergrad, I took up
disability studies as my minor,

along with law, society, and
justice, and political science

as my majors.

But with disability
studies, I was

able to get more and more
involved with knowing

about that type of history.

And so it actually
influenced the type of law

that I want to practice today,
which is disability rights.

[PEPPY MUSIC]

Several activities
that I've done

over the years of me being
an undergrad at least,

first and foremost, the
Husky marching band.

I was actually in the marching
band as a member of the Piccolo

section all four years.

BAND: Tequila!

DUSTINE: I worked at the
Commuter and Transfer Commons

in the HUB during my
junior and senior years,

being there for anyone who has
any questions or inquiries.

It's a huge honor to be
selected for the Husky 100.

I looked at my phone.

I saw an email.

And it says,
congratulations, you just

got selected for the Husky 100.

And I was just like--

I was like-- I was like this.

I was like, I can't
even believe it.

I can't even believe
I got nominated for--

I got selected
for the Husky 100.

This past summer, I
interned at Washington Civil

and Disability Advocate.

The first year law
school students,

they have a class called Legal
Analysis, Research, and Writing,

or LARW for short.

And so I was able to take what
I've learned from that class

during my first year
here at law school

and to apply it towards
drafting motions,

basically asking the
court to do something

in favor of your clients.

The DO-IT community has been
incredibly supportive of me.

They've been there
whenever I needed help

with getting accommodations
in undergrad.

They've been there for
me whenever I needed help

with personal statements,
and even if I just

needed to talk to someone.

So I want to give back.

And being a disability
rights attorney

and hopefully causing
societal change for the good

would allow me to give back
to the disability community.

One of my first friends
that I met at DO-IT

is someone who has a
vision-related disability,

and so, over time,
I've gotten the chance

to get to know her and have
conversations with her.

Having that type of connection
does bring, I guess,

really increased my motivation
to become more aware

and to educate myself
around those things.

And that has also
been impactful.

I just wanted to express
a moment of gratitude

for all of my mentors,
my friends, family

members, and my
parents for helping me

get to where I'm at right now.

Thank you for all that
you've done for me.

DO-IT, you are an inspiration.

You are an inspiration.

And I'm very fortunate
to be a part of that,

be a part of that group.

And I hope I'm
making you all proud.

I really do.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

SPEAKER: To learn about how you
can get involved or for more

resources about supporting
students with disabilities,

consult uw.edu/doit.

Copyright 2025,
University of Washington.

Permission is granted
to use this material

for non-commercial
purposes provided

the source is acknowledged.