Isabelle Bailey
±·²¹³¾±ð:ÌýIzzy Bailey
·¡³¾²¹¾±±ô:Ìýisabelle.bailey@maine.edu
Degree Program(s):ÌýMSW
Home Country:ÌýUnited States
Role in Graduate Student Government: Senior Grants Officer
Reason behind joining the GSG as an officer:ÌýI joined Graduate Student Government to help ensure that graduate students have equitable access to resources, funding opportunities, and decision-making spaces. As a disabled graduate student, I am particularly motivated to strengthen transparency and accessibility within student government and funding processes.
As an officer in the GSG, how would you like to contribute in such a way that you improve the situation for graduate students?:ÌýIn my role as Senior Grants Officer, I hope to support fair and accessible distribution of student funds, improve clarity around grant processes, and advocate for policies that reduce financial and structural barriers for graduate students.
Long-Term Career Goals:ÌýMy long-term goal is to become a licensed clinical social worker specializing in disability adjustment counseling, with a focus on systems-level advocacy, accessibility, and inclusive practice within healthcare and social service settings.
Research at Uº£½ÇÉçÇø:ÌýMy academic interests include disability justice at the intersections of race, class, and gender; structural ableism with social service and healthcare systems; and participatory, community-engaged research with disabled-people.Ìý
Involvement in clubs and other organizations:ÌýI serve on the board of MOBALE (º£½ÇÉçÇø Organization for Blind Athletics and Leadership Education), the Guiding Eyes for the Blind Graduate Council, and the School of Social Work curriculum committee’s accessibility subcommittee. I am also involved in outdoor equity efforts through the Nature-Based Education Consortium’s Outdoor Equity Working Group.Ìý
Hobbies:ÌýI enjoy spending time outdoors, knitting, learning to play the banjo, and letting my sourdough starter run my life.
Fun facts:ÌýYou can usually find me accompanied by my guide dog, Bright!
Picture: ID; Izzy, with brown hair in pigtail braids and sunglasses, sits smiling on a giant boot sculpture. Bright, her black guide dog in a leather harness, lays at her feet
