The CACTI Blog: Small Steps, Big Impact – What My AdvoCat Experience Taught Me About Independence

By Guadalupe Gutierrez, 2026 AdvoCat

During the summer of 2026, I was part of the AdvoCats program with the Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities. There, I had the opportunity to work with the Sonoran Center Summer Work Program supporting students with disabilities in different community work settings. This experience taught me many things about employment, independence, and the importance of finding the right support for each person. One student in particular helped me see how much someone can grow when they are given patience, encouragement, and the opportunity to take small steps toward independence. 

Starting With Small Steps 

During my time at one of the sites, I worked with a student who was very anxious during his first week. He was not used to having workplace rules and expectations. At first, he was not interested in working. It was clear that starting a new environment was difficult for him. Instead of expecting him to adjust all at once, we worked on taking things one step at a time. We found different ways to break tasks into smaller steps so they felt more manageable. I also had small conversations with him throughout the day to get to know him better and learn what he enjoyed. Those conversations helped me understand what interested him and what parts of the workplace he enjoyed. Once I found those interests, I could use them to make work feel more meaningful to him. I learned that supporting someone does not always mean giving them more instructions. Sometimes, it means taking the time to listen and understand what makes them feel comfortable and motivated. 

As the weeks went on, I began to notice changes. He became more comfortable with the expectations of the workplace and needed less support with some tasks. He also became more willing to participate and interact with the people around him. What stood out to me most was not just that he was completing tasks; I could see that his attitude toward work was changing. At the beginning, he did not want to work. By the end, he was interested in the possibility of working there. Near the end of our time together, he shared that he was proud of himself because he had become much more independent. He also recognized that he had developed a more positive attitude toward the people around him. Hearing him talk about his own growth was one of the most meaningful moments of my experience. 

Seeing Independence Differently 

This experience changed the way I think about independence. Before my experience in this program, I might have thought of independence as being able to complete a task without help. Now, I see that independence can look different for everyone. Sometimes independence means learning how to complete a task. Other times, it means becoming comfortable asking for help, communicating with others, making choices, or feeling confident enough to try something new. 

As an AdvoCat, I also learned that my role was not to do things for the students I supported. My role was to help create opportunities for them to learn and become more confident. Sometimes the best support was giving a student a reminder or helping them break a task into smaller steps. Other times, the best thing I could do was step back and let them try. 

My experience also showed me that employment can be about more than completing tasks and earning a paycheck. A workplace can also be a place to build relationships, practice communication, develop new skills, and feel connected to the community. Students deserve opportunities to explore different types of work and discover what they enjoy. They may need different supports or accommodations along the way, but those supports should help create opportunities rather than limit them. Working with this student reminded me that we should not decide what someone is capable of based on how they begin. His first week did not show me how he would finish. With time, support, and opportunities to learn, I watched him become more confident and interested in something he initially did not want to do. 

My experience as an AdvoCat has changed the way I think about supporting people with disabilities. I learned that progress can happen through small steps, and those steps can lead to meaningful changes in someone's confidence and independence. As I continue my education and work toward becoming a speech-language pathologist, I will carry this experience with me. It reminded me of the importance of listening to the people we support, recognizing their strengths, and giving them opportunities to make their own choices. Sometimes, independence does not begin with doing something completely on your own. Sometimes, it begins with one small step, followed by another, until you look back and realize how far you have come. 

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