Carly Priest
About
As National Program Director at The Neurodiversity Alliance, Carly leads our all-neurodivergent program team and oversees the strategic design and delivery of our programs for neurodiverse young people, including The Neurodiversity Alliance’s Club network, the Eye to Eye mentoring program, our Online Community and App, Ambassadors, internships, and scholarships. As part of The Neurodiversity Alliance team, Carly has served as Associate Director of the Eye to Eye Mentoring Program, and as Director of Curriculum and Program Design.
Carly is an alumna of many of The ND Alliance’s programs, including our Ambassador Program, Eye to Eye Mentoring program, and Internship Program. She is also a Teach For America alumna, and former teacher in Miami-Dade County Public Schools, where she was recognized as Frederick Douglass Elementary’s Rookie Teacher of the Year in 2019. She is a former NCAA Division I athlete, competing all four years of college.
Why this Work is Important to Me
My involvement with The Neurodiversity Alliance (beginning in high school) set me on the career trajectory I am on today.
Representation is powerful, and before my involvement with The Neurodiversity Alliance I didn’t have exposure to college students with learning disabilities – which led me to believe that college wasn’t an option for neurodivergent people. Through formal and informal mentoring connected to The Neurodiversity Alliance, I gained internship experiences, professional advisement, and a sense of belonging with neurodivergent friends who had lived experiences similar to my own.
Today, I am passionate about empowering neurodivergent young people and their allies, strengthening the ND Alliance community, and contributing to neurodivergent representation across all career paths.