The Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities (MCDD) is excited to welcome several new trainees to its interdisciplinary preservice training program. This program aims to increase the number—and enhance the expertise—of individuals interested in integrating disability knowledge into their future careers and lives. Through the MCDD’s core programs and projects, trainees engage in a range of mentored experiential and educational activities.
Jessica Cahn is a second-year law student at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, where she serves as a staff editor on the Journal of Health Care Law and Policy, an executive board member for the Maryland Public Interest Law Project and Baltimore Outreach for Student Success, and a peer advisor. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in government from William and Mary in 2022 and her Master of Education degree from Boston University in 2025. Cahn’s commitment to advancing educational equity for students with disabilities began when she served as a special education teacher with Teach for America Massachusetts. After returning home to Baltimore in 2024, Cahn continued to advocate for students as a high school academic tutor with Baltimore City Public Schools. After law school, Cahn plans to pursue a public interest legal career to remove systemic barriers preventing community access to essential health and educational resources.
Amelia Culbertson is a senior at Towson High School in Baltimore County, with a strong passion for justice and advocacy. She is deeply interested in the legal system and the many layers involved in protecting the rights of individuals involved in a case. Outside of school, Culbertson is a dedicated soccer player who especially enjoys coaching and training children in adaptive soccer programs each fall. This work has fueled her commitment to inclusion and service. Following high school, she plans to study political science or pre-law in college, with the goal of becoming a lawyer and a lifelong advocate for others.
Sydney White is a third-year law student at the University of Baltimore School of Law. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in criminology and criminal justice at the University of South Carolina in 2023. White’s commitment to disability rights and educational equity law is rooted in her own experience growing up with learning disabilities. She is passionate about advocating for people with disabilities and improving access to educational resources. Her interests include special education law and the intersection of disability and the justice system. Through her work with Project HEAL (Health, Education, Advocacy, and Law), she hopes to learn more about advocacy in schools, and advance more inclusive systems.