Abby Shelfo is currently a freshman at Appalachian State University. She is majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders, and minoring in American Sign Language, aspiring to be a Speech Pathologist for kids with special needs. Ever since Abby took a PEPI (Physical Education Pupil Instructor) class in high school, she knew she wanted to work with special needs. She found that she could make a difference in their lives by making the kids feel loved and seen every day. After shadowing her school’s speech pathologist one day, Abby knew exactly what her passion was. She believes every kid deserves a chance to communicate and to be heard, no matter the circumstances. Abby has taken what she learned from her PEPI class to the outside world and has worked at two different special needs camps, and volunteers at her church in special needs ministries.