Hank Ebner

I am a second year graduate student in Florida Tech’s PsyD program. Born and raised in Chicago, I have made the trip down to Melbourne, FL in order to pursue my graduate studies. Some of my interests include playing and watching football, along with messing around on the guitar. Before attending the PsyD program, I worked in a special education classroom in the suburbs of Chicago. It was there that I found my passion of working with those who have limited and impaired cognitive functioning. Working with these students, I found that many of my preconceived notions regarding their limitations came from sources outside of myself. It was not until I realized that these students displayed great strength and a tremendous amount of empathy that I discovered their “limitations” were really defining traits of what it is to be a human being. My involvement with the diversity committee stems from my understanding that those who suffer from cognitive impairments represent an aspect of diversity that is often overlooked. I hope to spread awareness of the different capabilities that people present and the underlying factors that unite us all.