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Advocacy has been a lifelong journey for Caitlyn Ungrin, a fourth year Bachelor of Community Rehabilitation (BCR) student in the . Ungrin now works, volunteers and focuses her education on being an advocate for neurodivergent students at the University of �����о���. 

Her impact has included the creation of a practicum position for neurodivergent BCR students, and she has become a strong and visible representative for inclusion on campus — while at the same time navigating the pressures of this visibility and the potential for burnout.

Growing up in a family of outspoken academics and medical professionals, Ungrin's parents modelled for her the confidence to speak up from an early age. Reflecting on the lack of accommodations that she received as a neurodivergent student in her early education, Ungrin says watching her mother advocate for her helped build the confidence to advocate for her own needs. 

“I realized that, if you don't say something, nothing's going to change," she says. "My mom advocating for me was amazing, but my mom wasn't me, and so she couldn't really say exactly what I needed.”

Driven from a young age, Ungrin approached the  (WIL ND Initiative) at U�����о��� to propose a position for BCR practicum students; since 2023, several BCR practicum students have worked with the initiative, thanks to Ungrin. 

Now completing the final BCR practicum of her degree, Ungrin continues to be an outspoken champion for greater accessibility as part of the WIL ND Initiative. Ungrin presents at conferences, speaks on student panels, and is creating a guide to help neurodivergent students articulate the skills learned from undergraduate research. She has also been an outspoken member of the Neurodivergent Student & Alumni Working Group for the last two years.

Ungrin says impactful advocacy involves many different approaches. While public-speaking events can be helpful, she explains, being able to support people on an individual level is an important part of advocacy that can often go unacknowledged. She also describes openness to sharing her own lived experiences as one of her approaches.

“I am, what I like to call, a chronic over-sharer, and I’m comfortable talking about my experiences and using that as an example to say that this is the kind of stuff that actually happens to real people,” Ungrin says.

Despite her tenacity and passion, Ungrin admits burnout is a real possibility. While she takes pride in being someone her community can rely on, Ungrin is careful about overexerting herself and the boundaries she sets.

“I've been in situations where I have burnt out, and I've been, like, I'm done, I can't. And I know that reaching that point is so much worse, both for me and for other people," she says. "Unless I am balancing my own needs and my capacity, I can't help people.”

Ungrin says she doesn’t always feel free to let her emotions show even when advocating for herself or others, admitting this pressure can be taxing and something she is still learning how to navigate. Meeting people who aren’t receptive or who get defensive is inevitable, Ungrin says — but she reframes this in her advocacy. 

“I don't feel like I wasted my time or my effort, because I think even if people don't agree with me, if they're approached in the future with someone else saying something, they might be more receptive,” Ungrin says.

When times do get tough, she knows that she can turn to her community. Ungrin explains that her commitment to advocating for her community is nourished and sustained by the same care her community shows for her. 

Across all of Ungrin’s work as an advocate, one thing has always remained clear: 

“When people see you care, they care more, too," she says. "When they see you trying, it’s more likely that they’ll speak up next time. You can build our own community through advocacy.”