A Passion for Advocacy Becomes a Career A Conversation with Haben Girma, Civil Rights Advocate

Confident self-advocacy skills are an absolute must to compete in the job market these days. From getting the skills and training needed for employment readiness to pitching yourself effectively to a potential employer and securing and sustaining that job - it is a vital tool for life and career. But where do advocacy skills come from?

Advocacy is a big subject and can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. We have invited Haben Girma, an Oakland native whose travels and education have taken her far and wide, and we are pleased to have this opportunity to hear her experiences around advocacy. What started with a simple exercise in asserting her right to independently locate chocolate cake in her college cafeteria has led to a passion for ensuring the accessibility of education & technology for disabled individuals throughout law and society.

From Haben's early experiences with advocacy, to her recent graduation from Harvard Law, she begins a year-long fellowship with Disability Rights Advocates in Berkeley in mid-September.

Please join us Friday, September 13th from 1 to 2 p.m. to hear what she has to say first hand, and bring your most probing questions for what is sure to be an enlightening conversation about the underlying principles of successful advocacy.