An ICI delegation spoke during the Senate Special Committee on Aging listening session for UCEDDs (University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities ) and LENDs (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities), which support people with disabilities, families, and communities across the lifespan. From left to right, the delegation included Adam Langenfeld (2019-20, a developmental-behavioral pediatrician at Children’s Minnesota), Jennifer Hall-Lande (ICI Director of Education, Training and Outreach), Amy Hewitt (ICI Director), Mahdi Warsama (2023-24, CEO of the Somali Parents Autism Network), and Stacy Lawrence (2024-26).
MNLEND fellow Stacy Lawrence (2025-26) says it was an incredible experience to travel with a delegation from the Institute on Community Integration (ICI) to Washington, D.C., in June to speak about the importance of funding programs to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“It really is all about connections,” Lawrence said. “My recent experience in Washington and the connections I made as a MNLEND fellow are amazing opportunities to expand my knowledge.”
The ICI delegation to the Senate Special Committee on Aging listening session for UCEDDs (University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities) and LENDs (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities), which support people with disabilities, families, and communities across the lifespan, included Director Amy Hewitt, and the Director of Education, Training and Outreach, Jennifer Hall-Lande, as well as MNLEND fellow alumni, Mahdi Warsama (2023-24), the CEO of the Somali Parents Autism Network, and Adam Langenfeld (2019-20), a developmental-behavioral pediatrician at Children’s Minnesota.
The ICI group had meetings with staff members from the offices of Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Rep. Betty McCollum, Rep. Ilhan Omar, and others.
“We just had 15 minutes to make our case to these staffers,” Lawrence said. “It was a very interesting experience, but I also felt pressure because people’s lives are in your hands.”
This focus on advocating for people who have disabilities sparked Lawrence’s career plans and her interest in pursuing a master’s degree in social work at the University of Minnesota.
“My undergraduate degree from Clemson University is in special education, and while I loved the education world, I was often frustrated by feeling like I was not always in control of what I could teach and do,” Lawrence said. “Social work came up as a great option that would allow me to stay in the disability realm, just with a new lens.”
Lawrence chose the University of Minnesota for graduate school because of its commitment to research and to supporting people with disabilities. “I chose the U of MN as it was one of the only programs for a master’s in social work that had disability in the name.”
Lawrence applied to be a MNLEND fellow to have an opportunity to deepen her knowledge and to connect with the leaders in the disability community. The Minnesota Leadership in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (MNLEND) fellowship helps develop the next generation of leaders in the neurodevelopmental disabilities field, and Lawrence recalls being “beyond excited” when she learned she was accepted into the program.
“I was ecstatic to finally be in rooms with others who shared my vision. It energized and excited me,” Lawrence said.
“During my fellowship, there was a focus on legislative work and opportunities to speak to people with lived experience. The exposure to other practitioners of different professions gave me a new perspective,” Lawrence said. “My mind was expanded on the ways in which disability is deeply connected to everything that we do, and certainly the policy we employ.”
Lawrence is hopeful the ICI delegation’s meetings with legislative staffers in Washington will have an impact on funding and awareness for programs aimed at supporting people with disabilities. She says this experience has made her even more determined to find a job that will allow her to be an advocate for the disability community.
“Thanks to my experiences as a MNLEND fellow, I feel confident in my newfound abilities to not only speak about disability awareness and justice, but to spread and educate others so that we can all work towards a better world.”
View Article: https://ici.umn.edu/news/mnlend-fellow-makes-connections-in-washington-d-c
