For Will Gallup, making a difference for the community of people with disabilities is something that he has wanted to do his entire life. Currently, Will is a part-time student at Cuyahoga Community College where he is studying to become a social worker. Will says “I want to give back to the community that has done so much for me over the years and is still doing so much for me presently as we speak. My main goal is to leave the community better than it was when I came into the world as well as better than it is today. I am 100% hopeful and confident at the same time that it’s going to happen, and when I say it’s going to happen, I mean that the community itself will be better off for generations to come.”

As part of his efforts to leave an impact on this community, Will recently accepted the position of Good Life Ambassador at the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities. Through this ambassadorship, he will able to share his thoughts with the board on many important issues. He will have the opportunity to travel throughout Cuyahoga County and some other areas of Ohio to give presentations to people one-on-one and in group settings. Will hopes that this opportunity will lead to much bigger opportunities in the near future. This is an important stepping stone in his life where he hopes to inspire others and change things for the better.

In addition to the ambassadorship, Will was appointed in January as a member of the Human Rights Committee at the Rose-Mary Center in Euclid.  His role in the committee is to preserve and protect the rights of the clients at Rose-Mary. Will says “I really love being on the committee. The people are absolutely wonderful.” Will is also a voluntary peer consultant at Services for Independent Living in Euclid. Here, Will listens to those with disabilities who are going through personal struggles in their lives. He is then able to offer up advice as a peer who may have faced similar struggles in his own life.