Powell Fellow Joins JustChildren
The fellowship will fund a position in our Charlottesville office, where Salas has designed a plan to help children with disabilities and their families realize their educational goals, as well as to prepare for life after school. “My project will allow me to represent parents in special-ed planning meetings and to advocate for better special-ed services that are focused more tightly on that transition to life after leaving school,” Salas said.
Salas has volunteered hundreds of hours with the Legal Aid Justice Center since starting law school, including time with the JustChildren Program. He also took the Child Advocacy Clinic last year and spent an additional semester through an independent project under Professor Andrew Block this past fall. Executive Director Mary Bauer said, “With his background as an educator, Mario is uniquely suited to helping young people with disabilities get what they need to thrive as adults. We are thrilled to host his fellowship.”