YOU HELPED!
Your giving has a profound impact on our ability to hire individuals like Krista. Her position is directly supported by individuals like you, that financially support Gompers’ programs and services.
Click below to learn more about the supports that Krista and our Assistive Technology team provide to our members.
Krista Howard is a single mom in her 30s pursuing her career with fervor and dedication. What you don’t know about Krista, without meeting her in person, is that she has a disability affecting her speech and the use of her left arm.
Krista can only vocalize sounds to communicate, so she has been using an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device since she was 5. As an adult, she is like any other single mom trying to build a career while being a parent. Over time, Krista has earned three Associates degrees and she is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Education Studies. Krista’s success hasn’t come without adversity. She has been tirelessly building her resume since she was 15-years-old.
Krista’s goal is to work full time in education helping others with complex communication needs (CCN) as an Assistive Technology Specialist. She strives to enhance the lives of others with CCN by helping them strengthen their voice. Ultimately, Krista wants to educate those who work with individuals with disabilities to empower individuals of all ages with complex communication needs.
In 2017, we had the pleasure of hiring Krista as an AAC Technician in Gompers’ Assistive Technology program! She is making a tremendous impact in the lives of our members, building trust with them through her firsthand understanding of life with a disability.
We are inspired by Krista, as she dispels cultural and societal constraints nearly every day. Since Krista’s disability is noticeable, she gets the opportunity to show people that she functions much like they do. She is quick to initiate conversation and makes an inspiring, lasting impression on everyone she meets. When Krista is working in the field, industry professionals can think she is a member of our program, until she quickly and confidently corrects their misconception.
Through her work, Krista has impacted a myriad of educators, parents, therapists, and individuals with disabilities. Through her work at Gompers, she continues to build her skill sets and career. Krista’s family and lifelong friends are grateful for the opportunity she has been given and they are not surprised that she is advancing in her career. At Gompers, she helps our members and staff feel at ease providing peer-to-peer modeling for other AAC users. She has facilitated the creation of a staff training series, implemented vocabulary based activities for our members, and coordinated with our partner program device group, AZ Talks Together, a program designed to share best practices between device users.
Krista’s role at Gompers has been a game-changer. She is shaping a culture in our organization by empowering our staff, students and adults. Almost all contributions that are given to Gompers are directed to support the efforts of our Assistive Technology initiative. It’s these resources that have allowed us to share Krista with our members.