u/casiotea1

hey, not going to pretend this isn't a little self-promotional but i'll make it worth your time to read

i'm a rising senior at a the #1 STEM magnet school in the US. i founded a nonprofit called Empower InvisAbilities in 2024, focused on invisible disabilities (ADHD, autism, dyslexia, sensory differences, anxiety, stuff schools constantly miss or dismiss).

here's what we've actually done so far:

• ran workshops across the united states reaching 200+ students directly
• wrote a children's book on invisible disabilities, sold 100+ copies, donated $1100+ to underserved communities
• shipped books, teacher toolkits, and sensory tools to 15+ military schools in india — 250+ students got disability education for the first time
• worked with district-level research staff to design student/teacher surveys measuring gaps in accommodation awareness (this one got complicated but that's a different post)
• raised $5k+, grants pending
• 500+ people reached across 4 continents

we have chapters starting in the UK, australia, and parts of africa and i'm actively looking for leads in places we don't have yet (and more in places we do!) — southeast asia, latin america, eastern europe, middle east, anywhere really

what running a chapter looks like:
a few awareness events per semester, sharing our materials (we give you everything, you don't build from scratch), getting volunteer, and reporting back on reach. realistically 1-2 hours a month outside of events. designed to count for CAS.

why this is actually useful for college apps beyond CAS hours:
you'd be a named Chapter Lead of a registered US 501(c)(3) with documented international reach. that's a real title with real numbers behind it, not just "volunteered at a local shelter." if you're applying to US schools especially, running an international chapter of a youth nonprofit reads differently than most service activities

if you're in a country we don't have yet drop a comment or DM me, i'll send the application link.