Former Capper Student Shares About Internship in Governor’s Office (1991)

by Jenni Koebel

I was a student at Capper Foundation from 1988-1995. The speech-language-pathologists at Capper taught me how to use my communication device as my actual voice. They also introduced me to public speaking to promote the use of voice-output communication devices.

I went to work part time for Governor Joan Finney in 1991, where I spoke in legislative sub-committee hearings in favor of people with disabilities being included in their communities. My teachers and para, who worked with me from 1993-1995, assisted me with earning the credits I needed to graduate high school. I went on to attended Washburn University and Missouri Western State University to earn my Bachelor Degree in Social Work.

Capper Foundation’s services are important, because I believe if a person with a disability who is determined to overcome his or her disability is given the needed assistive technology, ANYTHING is possible!

Editor’s note: Keobel also worked in Governor Finney’s second-floor Statehouse office, tracking hundreds of letters mailed to the governor each week. She used the staff’s computer system to log notes about each letter, ensuring they reached the appropriate state agencies. Working in the office every weekday morning, she was often assisted by Trish Rogenmoser, a Capper Foundation Youth Care Specialist. Koebel was the first Capper Foundation student to intern in the governor’s office.