# @ucsandiego on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/C8FtEV0yUnF
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/75464503-ucsandiego-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/3f6fa6feba.jpg
- **Posted:** 2024-06-11T20:39:08.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** UC San Diego / UCSD (@ucsandiego) — https://gondola.cc/ucsandiego

## Caption

“My disability has provided me with the ability to be comfortable in my skin while defying neurotypical normalities that mimic Westernized, capitalist culture. At the age of three, I was diagnosed with receptive and expressive language disorder. This made it difficult for me to comprehensively understand others and express my emotions and perspectives in a way that felt conventional to them. Although growing up with this disability created extreme challenges, my disability has transpired to shape me into the confident, self-reliant, courageous, and empathetic person I am today. 

Before attending UC San Diego, I attended Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) for the performing arts and acting. My time there taught me important skills beyond academia in terms of prioritizing self-advocacy, reciprocation, and well-being. These principles have continued to be non-negotiables while at UCSD within my classroom environments, my experience as a club mentor and facilitator for the Spanish Literature Club, and my journey navigating my thesis regarding the intersectional intricacies that exist between queerness and neurodivergence after I was accepted into the Honors program for Critical Gender Studies during my fourth year. 

The departments of Education Studies and Critical Gender Studies have allowed me to be vulnerable, expressive, and authentic in spaces that foster unconditional support and reciprocal connection. I am thankful for my community here and look forward to taking what I have learned with me while I continue on my journey to become a university professor and teach about queer theory, intersectional feminism, educational policy, and disability justice. 

As graduation approaches, I will continue to carry the importance of understanding my worth with me. Despite the criticism or praise that others will share about your life, self-actualizing your value, worth, and efficacy will always mean the most.”

— Kole Gregory Kistler (they/them/she), Education Sciences Major, Critical Gender Studies Minor (with Honors Research), Class of 2024

#TritonStories #UCSanDiego #UCSDGrad #UCSD2024 #UCSDAlumni

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 3,027
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- **Comments:** 21

## Credits

No public credits are recorded here. This does not identify who made the post.

## Tags

ucsdalumni, ucsdgrad, tritonstories, ucsd2024, ucsandiego

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