Since their arrival last month, Professional Fellows Mai Nambooze and Kelvin Mkude have been hard at work, and having some fun along the way!

Imagine this: instead of just putting up a job description and hoping for the right contender to apply, we could create roles around talented individuals in our communities? That's the promise of Customized Employment, a person-centered approach that's gaining momentum across the country.

I had the amazing opportunity to work on the Sonoran Center’s Pregnancy and Parenting Project. This experience reminded me how important it is to remember that people come from so many different backgrounds, and they may face prejudice or injustice based on their identities. For that reason, I’m very grateful that the Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities exists and takes the time and effort to educate Hispanics/Latinos with disabilities about their health and the resources that are available to them, especially when it comes to sexual and reproductive healthcare.

In June of 2025, Jessica Winchester, Employment First Program Manager, and Rosa Rojas Franco, Native Initiatives Project Coordinator, travelled to Washington DC for the Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE) Employment First, Employment for All conference. As part of the conference activities, APSE coordinated a Day on the Hill so that Employment First champions could meet with members of Congress to tell them about Employment First.

The Sonoran Center is proud to once again welcome participants in the Professional Fellows Program on Inclusive Civic Engagement. This year, Mai Nambooze from Uganda and Kelvin Mkude from Tanzania will be participating in the program.

On Wednesday, July 30, the Sonoran Center hosted “Our Parenting Journeys”, a panel of parents to discuss the intersection of disability and parenting; its challenges, its rewards, and the experiences of both children and parents with disabilities. The panel - Jacqueline Cuevas, Jason Snead, Ashleigh Moon, Mark Taylor, and moderator Sharon Malone - represented a diverse cross-section of the disability parenting community.

The 16th semi-annual CHARGE Syndrome Foundation Conference took place from June 24 through June 27, 2025 in Phoenix. Representing the Sonoran Center, ArtWorks director Dr. Yumi Shirai and Community Advisory Council Co-chair Pavleena “Paavi” Madhivanan facilitated a version of ArtWorks’ Person-Centered Scrapbook Making Workshop, Creative Cafe. This workshop was designed to help people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities communicate their wants, needs, and inner lives.