Visit our website: BTR TMRW Center for Advancement

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As a young child, I came to the States as a refugee, by way of a war that lasted nearly two decades.

In my mid-twenties, I answered a calling after the events of 9/11. The gravity was so strong it compelled me to leave everything I knew on behalf of the United States Air Force, to somehow make reparations for a war that sent me here in the first place.

Halfway through that journey, during my first foray as a parent, I was blessed with a beautiful girl with Down syndrome, and my sense of life began evolving many times over.

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In many ways, the current political landscape has brought extreme clarity to my life.

Because regardless of what's happening within the government, there's still a young lady in my life with special needs, developing each day into such an extraordinary person, always listening to her favorite band. Black Pink!

And despite the ensuing chaos we're grappling with, there's still an amazingly bright, beautiful future ahead of her as a student with Down syndrome. So it stands to reason that more so than ever before, there's a need to pave new and audacious paths for her and other students with intellectual disabilities.

This journey has become my life's purpose and I find it incredibly difficult to concentrate on anything else in this critical, historically impactful moment.

In fact, the clarity reminds me deeply of the months following 9/11 when there was no doubt that I'd become a commissioned Air Force officer for the sole purpose of serving our nation and defending our liberties writ large. It's such a familiar calling.

As I write this, I recognize that there's no time like the present to drive toward the BTR TMRW vision -- a future where community colleges lead the way, ensuring students with intellectual disabilities have access to post-secondary programs that lead to meaningful careers and greater independence.

But, I'd be remiss not to recognize that in order to accelerate our progress and scale our ability to collaborate with fellow champions throughout the nation, we really need what you would call "seed funding."

So if you're inclined to contribute to the mission, please consider donating to our seed round today. It'll go toward all the hard it work it takes to establish the kind of organization that can drive real progress throughout our communities. We'd be eternally grateful for your support.