Stephanie Castillo

Stephanie Castillo wears many hats.

She is the primary caregiver for her grandmother, who needs a translator for appointments. Castillo works as a part-time nanny for two families. She is a full-time student on the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Gainesville Campus.

Castillo will add world traveler after completing a study abroad program in Barcelona, Spain. The junior pursuing a degree in psychology won a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, which will finance the trip.

"I needed three classes specific to my major and they had three classes that fit," said the 20-year-old from Buford, Georgia. "It was perfect."

This was quite an accomplishment for Castillo, who was diagnosed with a conversion disorder about three years ago. Her anxiety causes her to become paralyzed from as short as 5 minutes to as long as 30 minutes. But thanks to doctors, medication and UNG's Student Accessibility Services, she feels prepared for this next adventure.

"I waited until I was physically and mentally ready," said Castillo, who credits accessibility services with helping her transition from high school to college. "I felt my disability hindered me when I was 17. When I got to UNG, I enrolled with UNG's accessibility services and it made a big difference. I felt that I could be a full-time college student, because I was so well supported by UNG."

Now, Castillo is an outspoken advocate for disability services, which provides numerous accommodations, services, and resources for students with disabilities and temporary injuries or illnesses.

"I'm not afraid to speak about it. I'm willing to open up about my disability," she said. "I have not let any part of it hinder my opportunities at UNG."

Her disability led her to change majors.

"The mystery of not knowing why my anxiety was manifesting in a physical way led me to understand the power of the brain," Castillo said. "That's when I knew I wanted to study psychology."

As a junior, she is in her upper-level courses and loving every minute of it. She also joined the psychology club on the Gainesville Campus and has participated in sociology club events, too.

"The faculty and students foster this supportive environment," Castillo said. "I feel I could reach out to any department and get the support that I need. And UNG has the biggest listening ear that I have ever experienced."