Journey to Empowerment. From Struggle to Strength: Empowering Change Through Lived Experience and Leadership

Journey to Empowerment 

From Struggle to Strength: Empowering Change Through Lived Experience and Leadership

Overview

In Journey to Empowerment, Nicole Flynn shares her powerful lived experience— from being homeschooled, facing bullying, and leaving high school school, to becoming an advocate, entrepreneur, and leader. This workshop explores how education, experience, and exposure shaped Nicole’s understanding of identity, power, and purpose. Through real-world examples and deep reflection on systemic issues like oppression, unconscious bias and marginalization, Nicole challenges us to rethink what empowerment truly means—and how we can support real change, not just for people with disabilities, but for everyone.

Key Takeaways:

Universal design + equity = true inclusion

Allies support, they don’t lead—listen, learn, and walk with, not ahead

We must increase leadership roles for people who are labeled or marginalized

Use creativity—art, poetry, film, music, and storytelling—to express, connect, and lead