The Dinah F. B. Cohen Fellowship Program aims to provide college students and recent graduates with disabilities with professional skills and leadership opportunities. Let’s introduce the latest 2025 cohort and learn a little more about them!
Maeve Goldman is a freshman at Dartmouth College from Bergen County, New Jersey. Passionate about the intersections between disability advocacy, legal action, and policy Maeve works as a curriculum intern at Independence Science, a non-profit that innovates accessible STEM education. She presented at Princeton’s 2024 ISLAND Conference and was a student volunteer at the United Nations Inaugural Day for Blind Girls in Science. At Dartmouth Maeve is a Great Issues Scholar, competes internationally for the Parliamentary debate team, and is an editor on the Dartmouth Law Review. Maeve intends to study English and Public Policy before attending law school.
Sophie Christensen (she/they) is graduating May 2025 with a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science with minors in Intersectional Gender Studies, Sexuality Studies, Math and Music. She plans to pursue a career studying public policy, specifically policies that help disabled people and other marginalized groups. They are passionate about building community and creating resources around disability and they are an officer in their school’s disability club. In the rare moments she isn’t busy with school, work, or extracurricular activities, Sophie enjoys playing D&D with her friends, reading or listening to audiobooks, and playing or listening to music.
Dani McEwen is a rising junior at Baldwin Wallace University majoring in creative writing and political science. In the past, she’s organized events for her school’s interfaith dialogue group, designed career resources to help students from diverse backgrounds find supportive employers, and tutored students with learning disabilities through her local library. She’s excited to bring her interest in accessibility advocacy and educational policy research to the 2025 PYD Fellowship team.
Tolu studied Information Systems at the University of Utah and is passionate about the intersection of public policy and technology, particularly how both can be leveraged to create a more inclusive and accessible society for marginalized communities. He is currently a research assistant at the Information Experience and Accessibility Lab at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). His interests include digital accessibility, inclusive research, and global disability advocacy. He looks forward to learning from his peers and contributing to projects that center multiply-marginalized disabled voices.
My name is Halima, and I’m a senior marketing student at Kent State University with a minor in graphic design. I’m passionate about creating strong connections between clients and industries. I got my start working with Cape-Youth Working Group, where I built various presentations around disability inclusion in the workplace. At Phi Mu Fraternity, I serve as academic chairwoman, helping sisters tackle their studies and improving my own problem-solving skills. Outside of school, I enjoy reading autobiographies and watching Dancing with the Stars. I strive to combine creativity and strategy to make meaningful impacts in the disability world.
Celeste Jasmine Cash (any pronouns) is graduating from the University of South Florida with a B.A. in Sociology and Psychology and a minor in Queer and Sexuality Studies. Their honors thesis investigated how autistic sexual narratives challenge heteronormative and ableist ideas of sexuality, and they will be starting their M.A. in Sociology in the fall to continue to research the intersection between disability and sexuality. They are passionate about access to sexual health and co-direct an inclusive peer sex education program. In their free time, Celeste enjoys going to concerts and cuddling with their cat Sybil.
My name is Leza, and I’m currently studying Politics and Public Affairs at Denison University. I’m passionate about understanding how political systems shape societies and exploring ways to create meaningful change. Outside of academics, I enjoy traveling and discovering new cultures, hiking in nature, and reading classical literature. I’m especially drawn to stories that explore human nature and history. I’m always curious and open to learning—whether through books, experiences, or conversations. In the future, I hope to work in a field that combines policy, advocacy, and global engagement.
Isabelle “Izzy” Bailey is a disability advocate, accessibility consultant, avid contra dancer, and community change-maker. She grew up in rural Maine and credits its landscape for shaping her deep belief in collectective care and community organizing. Izzy holds an undergraduate degree in Rehabilitation Services and is currently pursuing her Master of Social Work at the University of Maine. She works with the Pine Tree Guide Dog Users advocacy group, serves on the Outdoor Equity Working Group at the Nature Based Education Consortium, and recently served on Patagonia’s Community Grants Council. Izzy was recently matched with her first guide dog, Bright, and can often be found mushroom foraging, swimming in wild waters, or helping build a more equitable and accessible Maine.
Hello my name is Anthony Reid, I am currently attending Umass Boston College and I am studying to be a computer science major. The thing I am most excited about is the chance to meet new people and get to work together on a multitude of tasks and assignments.
Sydney (she/her) is a rising junior at Connecticut College majoring in Psychology with a minor in Statistics and certificate in Public Policy and Community Action. Sydney’s goals include law school and combining mental and physical health research and advocacy with policy to combat inequality. She believes that health, housing, equity, food access, and education are comorbid issues that disproportionately affect minoritized communities. When she is not in class, working or volunteering, she enjoys the company of friends, painting, and reading.