“I chose dance because my older sister did it, and I always wanted to do what she did. I started by taking a hip hop class and immediately fell in love. Dance gave me something to work for; there were always people who were better than me, and they motivated me to keep working harder. However, it was also an escape for me. When I was in the dance studio, I was encouraged to express myself in any and every way. When I came to UCLA, I joined a club called “Expressive Movement Initiative” which taught kids with disabilities how to dance. I had previous experience teaching children to dance, but never children with disabilities. I knew it would be a challenge, but I was willing to give it a try. So far, I’ve loved it. Seeing these kids learn how to express themselves through dance is inspiring. I think that people with disabilities don’t get enough credit; they can do everything any person can do, they just might need to in a slightly different way. To have a club where people are willing to meet these kids in the middle is really special. It creates a free space for them that they don’t get enough of.”