SELS Inspires a New Generation of Changemakers

Dr. Hollie Mason’s journey with the Special Education Legislative Summit (SELS) began as a doctoral student at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. What started as a slightly intimidating step into the world of policy has become a personal mission that now includes mentoring the next generation of special education advocates.

Looking back at her first SELS experience in 2019, Dr. Mason remembers the power of community. “You get there and meet your team one evening, go to one day of training, and then you’re talking to Congressional offices the next day!” she said. “It’s a whirlwind, but I felt valued and supported.” Even as a student among professionals, her voice was heard.

Over the years, Dr. Mason’s role at SELS evolved. She attended virtually during the pandemic and served as a State Leader for North Carolina. In 2024, Dr. Mason brought five undergraduate students, including Lilly Britton, Madelyn Thurman, and Erin Forsythe, from Western Illinois University (WIU), where she now teaches. Watching her students advocate with confidence has been a career highlight. For her students, SELS was more than a learning experience; it was transformational. 

(from left to right) Lilly Britton, Dr. Hollie Mason, Megan Bessett, Gabby Hoelzer, Erin Forsythe, Madelyn Thurman, Legislative Assistant Ryan Wolfe (Education Staffer) pose outside Congressman Eric Sorensen’s office on Capitol Hill 

Lilly Britton described SELS as both eye-opening and empowering. “Meeting new people and having the opportunity to speak…and not only be heard but understood was an experience like no other,” she said. “Although the easier route may be to hope for the best and ‘trust the process,’ I know that I can help move the process forward and create real change.”

Madelyn Thurman shared that “It was empowering to step into a space typically filled with veteran educators, administrators, and policy professionals, and realize that our voices still mattered,” she said. “That experience showed me that advocacy doesn’t have to wait until we’ve been in the field for years. We have a role to play right now.”

For Erin Forsythe, SELS brought advocacy into sharper focus. “It was powerful to witness how our stories, knowledge, and passion directly contribute to shaping policy and driving change for students,” she reflected. “This experience showed me that as special education teachers, we can play a critical role in shaping policies that directly impact our students and profession.”

Dr. Mason shared that the most hopeful part of her work is watching her students rise to the challenge. “They’re tenacious. They understand equity and inclusion in ways I didn’t at their age. They don’t need me to push them—they’re already moving…they wanted their voices to be part of the story.”

This year, Dr. Hollie Mason is preparing her next class of students for their first SELS experience. However, her advocacy work doesn’t stay in Washington. Inspired by her students, Dr. Mason organized community information sessions back home, including resources on how to contact legislators and ask for change. 

“Advocacy can happen all the time, not just at the big events,” she said. “I hope [my students] continue to advocate wherever they are and that they see the benefit of their efforts in the students they teach.”