"When we learn how to become resilient, we learn how to embrace the beautifully broad spectrum of the human experience." Today, Drs. Lisa Dieker and Rebecca Hines sit down and talk with University of Central Florida (UCF) Alumni and Zumba lover, Elyse Mundelein. Elyse Mundelein became the first person with Down syndrome to be elected into UCF's SGA, but her journey didn't start there. Working alongside her support system, she has have created opportunities not only on campus but citywide for students with disabilities. Tune in to hear more about her story, what she is up to, and how she's learned to become a self-advocate.
You can follow also follow her on Instagram (@bestbuddies17), Facebook (@Mundelein Zumba Elyse), and TikTok (@mundeleinzumbaelys).
Don't forget we love to hear from our listeners! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. We look forward to receiving your questions on our Google Phone (407) 900- 9305, Facebook (Practical Access), Twitter (@AccessPractical), or Instagram (@Practical_Access).
"When we learn how to become resilient, we learn how to embrace the beautifully broad spectrum of the human experience." Today, Drs. Lisa Dieker and Rebecca Hines sit down and talk with University of Central Florida (UCF) Alumni and Zumba lover, Elyse Mundelein. Elyse Mundelein became the first person with Down syndrome to be elected into UCF's SGA, but her journey didn't start there. Working alongside her support system, she has have created opportunities not only on campus but citywide for students with disabilities. Tune in to hear more about her story, what she is up to, and how she's learned to become a self-advocate.
You can follow also follow her on Instagram (@bestbuddies17), Facebook (@Mundelein Zumba Elyse), and TikTok (@mundeleinzumbaelys).
Don't forget we love to hear from our listeners! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. We look forward to receiving your questions on our Google Phone (407) 900- 9305, Facebook (Practical Access), Twitter (@AccessPractical), or Instagram (@Practical_Access).
Lisa Dieker 0:08
Welcome to Practical Access. I'm Lisa Dieker.
Rebecca Hines 0:11
And I'm Rebecca Hines. And Lisa, I'm excited about today, one of our favorite people, but she is near and dear to your heart for many years now. So why don't you introduce today's guest?
Lisa Dieker 0:23
Well, I have my BFF Elyse Mundelein here who has been my friend, my colleague, my teaching assistant, and a UCF, Go Knights, graduate. Elyse, would you like to say hello to our audience and give them a little background about the amazing you?
Elyse Mundelein 0:42
Aw, Hi, I'm Elyse Mundelein. I am an alumni of UCF program from an IES program from Inclusion Education Services. And yeah, I am being involved with UCF like, so long. It's been so long since I know Lisa Dieker and Rebecca Hines, and that's why.
Lisa Dieker 1:05
Got it. So Elyse, I'm going to start with the first question then I'll throw it to Becky. Give us a little update. You said you graduated from the Inclusive Education Services. Tell us what you've done since you've graduated from that service and then we'll ask you some more questions about that program later. So what have you done? What are you doing now?
Elyse Mundelein 1:23
So right now, I am part of Best Buddies jobs right now. And then Best Buddies citizens program right now as well. So right now we're working at downtown Orlando. So I love that job. I love it. I don't want to leave and I like it a lot.
Lisa Dieker 1:45
And now that's a law office. Is that right? Yes. Yes. What do you do in that lawyer's office? That's pretty cool that you have to dress up and be fancy.
Elyse Mundelein 1:53
So no, you don't have to be fancy, but you have to wear like a, like, wear dress kind of thing. Constantly dressing. But yeah, it's pretty professional looking. Like probably like right now you're professional right now. But yeah.
Lisa Dieker 2:10
So when I go to the law office, do I get to see you when I come in, what do you do there?
Elyse Mundelein 2:15
Um, if you come in, I can say hi. And then and then if I ask you if they want a coffee or water, or whatever, and I will give you some coffee or water.
Lisa Dieker 2:25
Got it. So you're kind of the person when, like you're the face of the office when I walk in, you're kind of the person who makes me feel welcomed. And yeah, that's pretty cool, and you say you love it? Got it and tell me really quickly what you do with Best Buddies.
Elyse Mundelein 2:40
So I do for Best Buddies. I am still part of a UCF chapter, but I do a big, I go to their events and stuff. And then I work with Best Buddies Citizens. But for Best Buddies Citizens, I think next Tuesday they're having a citizen's picnic. So I want to go out to that on the 28th.
Lisa Dieker 3:01
Alright, I'm gonna throw it to my friend, Dr. Hines.
Rebecca Hines 3:04
Yeah, I'm dying to get in here. Now, when you think about your job right now, what what are some of the very specific things that you have to do? You mentioned to Lisa that in one of your jobs, you greet people. Where do you think you learned to be able to greet people so well?
Elyse Mundelein 3:26
Why, don't we not go around greeting people because because I greet clients now or take clients in the office. I like I said, my name's Elyse Mundelein. I am a coworker. And then sometimes I'll ask them, you know, like I told Lisa Dieker I do a coffee or water kind of thing?
Lisa Dieker 3:50
So we see you as the expert in advocating for what you need in life. So can you tell us where you learned to ask for what you need? Like let's think about an elementary, middle school, high school, college. You're not afraid to say I need help with this or leave me alone I got this by myself. How do you, where did you learn or what's something you would tell other people when they're younger to do to be like you when they grow up?
Elyse Mundelein 4:19
Well, I don't know my middle school right now before we moved here, but I know like high school very well in high school I I'm a double double senior in high school. So I'll stay for like a long time and then I was part of the dance program there are too.
Lisa Dieker 4:42
So yeah, you were included in, like you've always been with your your friends all your life, right? Always.
Elyse Mundelein 4:49
Always.
Lisa Dieker 4:50
Yes. So I'm going to take a specific example. I know when you were here at UCF in our program, what made you decide to run for student government?
Elyse Mundelein 5:01
Oh my god. Ah, you're putting me on the spot for this. Um, I don't know, I like SGA because IPAs, but um, they they they give you like, they give me, you get paid for it, you know, with everything with with the elections like everything who is Vice President, President stuff like that. But we get we do we table a lot and get people to people together to come to us our table and vote for them and see you know if you voted, you could get a promo. So it sounds like that.
Lisa Dieker 5:44
So you ran the elections in my right you're a part of the elections committee for SGA. And yeah, so that was part of your Inclusive Education Services Program. And may I share with the crowd, we can take this out if you aren't comfortable, but were you the first person with Down syndrome to be on our student government?
Elyse Mundelein 6:01
I was.
Lisa Dieker 6:03
You were, and were you proud of that fact.
Elyse Mundelein 6:08
I was, I'm very proud. I did it by myself. Actually.
Lisa Dieker 6:09
You did it all by yourself. That's what I love. I love that you did that by yourself. And so when you would go to those meetings and you had a great voice, where did you get that voice from? Where did you learn to say I can do this? Where did you learn that? How you're so good at that. Where did you learn that from?
Elyse Mundelein 6:29
My mom.
Lisa Dieker 6:29
Oh, your mom. Okay. We'll give your mom some credit there. That's what I was guessing. And how did your mom help you with that?
Elyse Mundelein 6:37
Well, my mom helped me with SGA. I told my mom I scared to do it by myself. Um, that's why that's why I put you into this Lisa Dieker because you did an amazing job with me.
Lisa Dieker 6:49
Oh, thank you. You're very kind. But it was my privilege to have you as my teaching assistant so.
Rebecca Hines 6:54
And Elyse I know besides your SGA and your college work, I know you've also taught some classes in fitness. Can you tell us a little bit about the classes that you teach?
Elyse Mundelein 7:09
Um, I teach Zumba. So I've been doing it, so last time I did Zumba I did it five times a row. It's been, I lost a lot of weight on that and then after I after that, I was so busy with everything I cut it down to two classes. So now, so back to, I taught Zumba at the Rec Center that they hired me remember Down syndrome but I'm a first person who works Zumba and I was like, oh my God, I'd love to, I mean, I can do this.
Rebecca Hines 7:50
Right, right. That's what we love about you. You're definitely an I can do this kind of person. So I'm curious now that you're, I mean, full on adult, right? You're not a college student. You're working like the rest of us. What kind of things do you do when you're not at work?
Elyse Mundelein 8:10
Not at work. Well, I hang out with friends basically, end up doing that. And then you know Citizens Program I've been doing a lot of things with them too. But they asked me to do Zumba for Citizens Program for Best Buddies. So that's why I'm doing that too so, yeah.
Lisa Dieker 8:32
It's amazing. So Elise, I'm going to ask another question, cause I know of all the people I know in life, you have lived your best life. I know, you've had some health issues at some point in your life and you've, you've overcame those. And you're, you look amazing by the way, I'm sorry, this podcast isn't in person so people could see how beautiful you look. But yes, you you, I, you're the only one I know from the pandemic that lost weight is all I'm gonna say and you look amazing. But one of the things that you do a lot is you speak at some very big events and you give keynotes. What's your one thing that you like to tell people? The one thing that you like to tell me in your speeches? What do you like to remind people about in your speeches?
Elyse Mundelein 9:17
My message? Um, I can say it right now, but I like it, open mind, open hearts, together we can do anything.
Lisa Dieker 9:26
I love it. Can you say that, not only one more time, but I want the audience to know is that listening, she's signing that. So as she says it, she might want to follow along. Yeah. Good.
Elyse Mundelein 9:39
Open mind, open hearts, together we can do anything.
Lisa Dieker 9:45
I love it.
Rebecca Hines 9:46
I love it too. And I guess my last question, Elyse is what are you, what do you still want to do? So what's next for Elyse?
Elyse Mundelein 9:59
Well, I can go back and tell you everything basically, I am part of Best Buddies executive Florida for board of directors board of directors now and then I'm a global ambassador for Best Buddies International, so, yeah.
Rebecca Hines 10:23
We're really proud of you and it's so great to see you.
Lisa Dieker 10:28
So, so at least my last question for you, is if I were a new parent, and I had the privilege of giving birth to a beautiful child with Down syndrome, like you, what would you tell that mom or dad to do?
Elyse Mundelein 10:46
Um, advocate yourself. That way people can come in the community and get people involved and stuff like that. So if people want to come to IES program Inclusive Educational Services, they can come and go it's like, you know, things they can can do everything they can get your mind into, hey, oh my god, Elyse is a Down syndrome I can do this just go and go to the community and get people involved.
Lisa Dieker 11:17
But can you tell us what the Inclusive Education Services Program is at UCF? Can you explain that to the audience?
Elyse Mundelein 11:25
So the Inclusive Education Services is like people doing like classes, job, and the third is go in classes you need to be in class need to be in anything you'd like to do. Like I did my classes honestly just to Rebecca Hines too I did personal fitness as a lot of classes, but it's, personal fitness, so hard but it's everything in my eyes like oh my god, I can do it. I can do this. If I can get in like go into in the world basically get people to know and and your, your your classes together. I did, I did computer class and I did, I did it with Lisa Dieker one time and I was like oh my god I I'm a TA which was a bigger class make this bigger in sign language. In the end I helped them and I helped them sign their name.
Lisa Dieker 12:28
I love it and you lived in the dorms. So you went to class, lived in the dorms, were a student governor. I don't think I ever didn't see you at a football game or any other activity you wanted to be. So you were just a part of our campus like any other student is that correct? Yeah and you went to class and you ate too much and had fights with your roommates and enjoyed your roommates just like any college student, right?
Elyse Mundelein 12:52
Yes. I was there like four years. Yeah.
Lisa Dieker 12:57
Just like everyone else. You're here with us for four years and then you graduated?
Elyse Mundelein 13:01
Yes.
Lisa Dieker 13:02
Yes. All right. So we're gonna end with my favorite chant. I think you'll know what it is. Go Knights. All right. Thanks, Elise. Thanks for joining us. If you have questions, you can send them to us on our Facebook page at Practical Access or you can send us a Tweet @accesspractical. Thanks again Elyse.
Elyse Mundelein 13:20
Thank you so much for everything you're amazing.