ABOUT JUSTINSPIRATION
We all deserve to live our best lives – filled with joy, excitement, growth, magical experiences, life-long friendships and meaningful contributions. But as individuals with unique abilities, a lot can stand in our way. At Justinspiration, we believe in harnessing the power and possibility of dreams to overcome all obstacles.
Justinspiraton is an inclusive online community designed to inspire and support you as you turn your dreams into realities. Whatever you set your mind to, you can accomplish – no matter what you do in life. And we’re here to help you.
Together, we can shape the future of inclusion, so that all people with unique abilities feel welcomed, special, supported and inspired to live their fullest lives.
JUSTIN'S STORY
Hi! My name is Justin Isaac. I have Down Syndrome and was also born with a very rare lung disease called Pulmonary Hypertension. But that hasn’t stopped me from living life to the fullest and achieving my dreams. I graduated from UCF with a major in Hospitality, landed my dream job at Disney after college, have a beautiful girlfriend and am passionate about shaping the future of inclusion. Read more about my story below.
WHO I AM
I was born in Denver, Colorado, on July 20, 1994. I am one of triplets, along with my two amazing sisters. I have Down Syndrome and Pulmonary Hypertension, which meant that I spent a lot of time in and out of the hospital growing up. At 4 months old I had open heart surgery and was placed in the intensive care unit (ICU) for five weeks. When I was 2 years old, I could no longer live in Colorado and had to be at sea level. So my parents packed up their bags and moved our family to Connecticut. A lot of doctors didn't think I would live past eighth grade – but now I'm a college graduate and am always living life to the fullest.
WHERE I'M FROM
I am originally from Denver, Colorado, but was told I could not live at the altitude due to my high lung pressures caused by Pulmonary Hypertension. When I was 2 years old, my family moved from Colorado to Connecticut to be at sea level. That is where I was raised and grew up for 12 years. In the fall of 2014, I moved from Connecticut to Florida when my dad took a job at the Humane Society of Vero Beach, where I spent a lot of time volunteering. I graduated from Vero Beach High School in 2016 and got accepted into college in Orlando at the University of Central Florida in the Inclusive Education Services (IES) program. This is where my college story and my involvement with Best Buddies, Knight Thon, hospitality and theater began. While I was still in college, my parents moved from Vero Beach to Harmony, Florida, to be closer to Orlando, because I didn’t want to leave post-graduation.
EARLY YEARS
At 4 years old, I was put on central line and was hospitalized every month. I wore a backpack all the time that held my medicine pump, which routed medicine through an IV to my heart. At age 8, my heart stopped, so I had to get a pacemaker put in to help it beat. I loved school and sports, and I just wanted to be a kid. But my health many times made that really hard to do. There were times when I had to miss my own birthday party to be rushed to the hospital. I was a frequent flyer to the hospital and knew the ambulance drivers by name, but I did not let my sickness stop me. I learned how to ski, wakeboard and swim. But I got sicker and sicker. I was out of breath all the time and had been on the central line for 12 long years. I needed to be pushed in a wheelchair because I could not breathe. The medicine was making me bleed and need more operations. I had always dreamed of going to college, but as I got sicker, I could no longer attend my middle school classes. It looked like I would not live past eighth grade. I was put on heavy doses of steroids, but it did not help. The doctors said that my luck had run out. But then the medical miracle breakthrough happened “Just-In time”: two brand-new medications saved my life and the best of all was I got to go back to high school.
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HIGH SCHOOL | SHEPAUG VALLEY & VERO BEACH
During my time at Shepaug Valley High School, I was an active member of the chorus, band and theater. I performed in concerts, cabarets, recitals, plays and the orchestra. I went to proms and dances, holiday bazaars and field trips. As a high schooler, I gave back to my community by volunteering 1,600 hours and raising over $6,500 for my favorite charities. I participated in track and field, where I got to do the in-field sports like throwing the discus and shotput, standing long jump and pole vault. I joined the Special Olympics and did unified track and field, bowling, unified basketball, downhill skiing and different sports. I won the bronze medal and gold medals.
In the spring of 2013, I graduated from Shepaug Valley High School in Washington, Connecticut. Then, in the fall of 2013, I attended the Highlander Transition Academy Program at the University of Connecticut (UConn) in Torrington, Connecticut. I gained hands-on career experience by rotating through different jobs in the community. I got to do fun activities, socialize with friends, go on field trips and attend field days. I learned daily living skills to be independent. I learned to take transportation from school to work.
Halfway through the transition program, I moved from Connecticut to Florida. But Florida didn’t have any transition programs, so I went back to high school. It was fall of 2014, when I started at Vero Beach High School. This is where I made National Honor Society and received an academic student of the year award from the government. I attended pep rallies. I got to be in the chorus and made it to states. I also got to be a sportscaster and attend football games, interview the football staff and players on the sidelines, and even eat sub sandwiches in the press box.
During my time at Vero Beach High School, I attended dances and proms. I took video editing and digital photography class. I took culinary and got certified in “Safe Serve.” I volunteered at the Humane Society of Vero Beach and the ARC of Indian River County, where my mom and dad worked. I got to be a guest speaker at one of the ARC’s events in front of 200 people. In the spring of 2016, I graduated from Vero Beach High School. After graduating, I stayed active in the community. I attended chorus and band concerts, orchestras and recitals. I also got to see the Broadway musical Seussical at the Vero Beach Performing Arts Center and The King and I at the Vero Beach Theater Guild.
COLLEGE | UCF
In the fall of 2016, I got accepted into the University of Central Florida (UCF)’s Inclusive Education Services (IES) program. While at college, I got to experience everything. I lived in the dorms, socialized with friends and roommates, attended concerts, comedy knights, karaoke knights, splashdowns at the leisure pool, parties, homecoming and other events. During college, I participating in organizations, clubs, nightlife, CFE Arena events and the Campus Activities Board. I loved tailgating before football games, attending every possible sporting event, going to Universal Knights and Halloween Horror Nights and so much more.
At UCF, I took classes every semester, such as hospitality and computer classes. I also got involved with Best Buddies and Knight Thon – a student run philanthropy which gives back to the Orlando community and raises money and awareness for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals through a 24-hour dance marathon. I had on campus jobs at the UCF Student Union, where I was a Guest Service Associate at All Knights Study. I got to work at the front desk, check students in, book study rooms, distribute study materials and clean the space if needed. And as a Bike’N’Gold Associate, I got to work at the front desk, swipe students in for bike rentals and maintenance, collect guest information and oversee tracking sheets for each bike being used.
Also during my time at UCF, I had two internships. In the summer of 2017, I had an internship at the Lakeside Inn in Mt. Dora, Florida, where I got the full hospitality experience. I worked within the hospitality department, which included the front desk, concierge services, housekeeping/laundry, retail, accounting, kitchen/food services and special events. During the spring semester of college, I did an internship at The Hyatt Regency Orlando as part of the concierge services team, where I got to set up, maintain and breakdown the dining room area, provide updated inventory, stock and store weekly truck deliveries, serve food from the hotbox and provide excellent customer service. I took my scooter everywhere around the entire UCF campus. There’s so much to do and so many places to go. Charge on!
INVOLVEMENT | BEST BUDDIES
I joined Best Buddies after I got accepted into the Inclusive Education Services program at UCF. I quickly got involved with Best Buddies at UCF and became an active participant, where I was involved with social outings, parties, game knights, signature and fundraising events, partial proceeds, etc. Along with landing my dream job at Disney through the Best Buddies Jobs program, I also got involved in fundraising for this program and won Champion of the Year at the Best Buddies Champions Gala. This inclusive fundraising opportunity let me work alongside my community partner, who has worked for Disney for the past 15 years, to raise money for the Orlando Jobs and programs.
INVOLVEMENT | THEATER
During my time in high school, I pursued my theater career. I was in eight school productions, including four Shakespeare plays, two original plays and two Broadway musicals.
Throughout high school, I was involved with the After School Arts Program, where I performed three Shakespeare plays. The first play I performed in was The Tempest. I was a sailor. The second play I performed in was A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream. I played a snug. I was one of the watchmen in the third play: Much Ado About Nothing. When I was a freshman in high school in 2009, I joined Shepaug Dramatics, where I performed in my final Shakespeare production, Romeo & Juliet, as a servant to Juliet’s nurse. During my second year with Shepaug Dramatics, I performed in an original play as a salesman for Inherit the Wind and performed in a Broadway musical, The Pajama Game, as one of the dancers and singers. In my senior year of high school, I had my final Shepaug Dramatics performances. I performed in an original play, The School for Scandal, as a servant to Lady Sneerwell and performed in the Broadway musical How to Succeed in Business as Mr. Benjamin Burton Daniel Ovington. Shortly after, I got involved in the Fine Line Theater Program, where I was a demon in the Demon’s Lair. After graduating from Shepaug Valley High School in the spring of 2013, I still supported the theater program as a member of the audience.
In the fall of 2014, I attended Vero Beach High School, where I joined the chorus and made it to states. In Vero Beach, I got to see Seussical, Poodlefool and The King and I.
In the fall of 2016, I started college at UCF as part of the Inclusive Education Service Program. This is where I took three theater classes: acting for non-majors, intermediate acting, and my ethno drama independent study (where I performed Red Light: Why Does It Not Stop and got to use my scooter as one of the stage props in the final performance of the college semester). While I was on Spring Break, I attended the Vero Beach Theater Guild’s stage musical production: The Pajama Game. Then, at the end of college, I made my debut on the silver screen in a movie called Drive, which was filmed and directed by Richards Yeah, a film student from Full Sail University. There was a full film and cameraman crew on scene. After graduating from UCF in the spring of 2019, I was in the audience as an attendee and got to see a Broadway musical stage production called Miracle in Bedford Falls, the holiday musical classic production The Nutcracker and the original play Anne of Green Gables at the Central Florida Creative Arts Center in Orlando.
INVOLVEMENT | HOSPITALITY
During my time as a college student at UCF, I had two on-campus jobs: one in the UCF Student Union as a Guest Service Associate for All Knight Study and one as a Bike’N’Gold Associate. As a Guest Service Associate, I got to work at the front desk, check students in, book study rooms, distribute study materials and clean the space if needed. As a Bike’N’Gold Associate, I got to work at the front desk, swipe students in for bike rentals and maintenance, collect guest information and oversee tracking sheets for each bike being used. I also had two internships as a UCF student. In the summer of 2017, I did a hospitality internship at The Lakeside Inn in Mt. Dora. During the spring semester of 2019, I did a second hospitality internship at The Hyatt Regency Club Orlando as part of the Concierge Services team. During my three years at UCF, I took multiple hospitality courses, such as Intro to Hospitality, The Event Industry and Hospitality Internship. Post-graduation, after winning Champion of the Year at the Best Buddies Champions Gala, I landed my dream job at Disney’s Contemporary Resort through the Best Buddies Jobs Program, where I am a host for the Pirates and Pals Fireworks Show Party. As a host, I check guests in at the podium while providing them with a memorable experience.
INVOLVEMENT | KNIGHT THON
Knight Thon is the country’s largest student-run philanthropy event – an all knight dance-a-thon to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. I quickly became involved with Knight Thon after attending my first Knight Thon as a dancer. At the event, I got to listen to the family miracle stories, which inspired me to become part of the organization. Shortly afterwards, I joined the team as a member of the Spark committee. As a member, I attended weekly meetings, raised money around the UCF campus and attended Knight Thon events throughout the 2017-2018 semester. I participated in Knight Thon 2018 for the second straight year and was on the first committee Knight Thon team. Then I re-joined the team in 2018-2019, where I was put on the full-time board as a Family and Hospital Captain. As a captain, I got to do all the event planning, conduct hospital tours, create monthly newsletters, host family parties, give back to the Orlando community, attend weekly leadership meetings, participate in and host Knight Thon events and fundraisers and raise money around the UCF campus for the 2018-2019 semester. I participated in Knight Thon 2019 for the third straight year on the full-time Knight Thon team.
CAREER
I started gaining hands-on career experience when I attended the Highlander Transition Academy Program at UConn in the fall of 2013. The program focused on vocational job placement in the community, independent and daily living skills, recreational activities, social activities and outings, field trips and field days. I learned to take transportation to and from work. During the summer of 2013, I did a summer work and vocational training program, where I got placed in different jobs within the community and got trained in daily, social, independent, employment and engagement life skills. In the fall of 2014, my career experience shifted when my dad landed a job at the Humane Society of Vero Beach. Throughout my time living in Vero Beach, I volunteered at the Humane Society, where I got to take care of different cats, dogs, fish, farm animals and pets. I also volunteered for the Arc of Indian River County, where I got the chance to be a guest speaker at one of the Arc’s biggest events and raise money to support people living with special needs and unique abilities. During my time at Vero Beach High School, I worked in the Guidance Office, where I assisted with filing files and keeping track of student records within the regional school district. Another major milestone came into focus, when I got accepted into UCF as part of the Inclusive Education Services Program, where I went on to study Hospitality; land two on-campus jobs; participate in hospitality classes and internships; and gain the skills and connections I needed to land my dream job at Disney after graduation through the Best Buddies Jobs Program, where I am a host for the Pirates and Pals Fireworks party at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
Volunteering and helping others is very important to me. One of my favorite organizations is Give Kids the World, a nonprofit "storybook" resort in Central Florida where children with critical illnesses and their families are treated to weeklong, cost-free vacations. As a volunteer at Give Kids the World, I've provided “Wish Families” with memorable experiences by leading engaging and fun activities, operating rides and providing concierge and dining services.
I've also volunteered at the Humane Society of Vero Beach, Volunteer, where I read to animals, played with cats, prepared toys and treats, assisted at the front desk and filed files to keep track of animal records within the Indian River County district. At the Arc of Indian River County I helped provide advocacy services and assistance for people with disabilities.
These are just some examples of the ways you can get involved in your community and help others.
PERSONAL LIFE & HOBBIES
Even though I’ve had to overcome many health challenges throughout my life, I love staying active and involved. I usually spend my time dancing, singing, volunteering, reading scripts from plays, doing theater, biking, swimming and going to the beach. I’ve even competed in Special Olympics downhill skiing, bowling, track and field, horseback riding and more!
I have a beautiful girlfriend named Paige, who I met at the Annual National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC) Convention in 2016. She lives in Georgia, but we talk on the phone weekly and try to catch up in person twice a year. I also have a very loving and supportive family. Over the course of my life, I’ve made a lot of amazing friends. I love socializing, going to parties and dances and meeting new people. I’m also a passionate public speaker and am always looking for ways to contribute to my community.