“I am a disability advocate because I have a hearing loss…"

K. Renee Horton PhD is a Space Launch Systems Quality Engineer for NASA and the founder of Unapologetically Being, an advocacy and mentoring organization whose mission is to change the face of STEM. Dr. Horton is the author of several children's books whose childhood struggles in understanding her place in the world as a person with a hearing impairment and triumphing over disability labels by realizing how important she is, is only one of the things that makes her AMAZING!!!

"I understand that I really am a unicorn. I’m a Black Woman with a PhD building rockets. There aren’t very many of us…"

"I believe all of us when we’re in our spaces, and if we are able to be unapologetic about who we are, right, I shouldn’t have to keep apologizing that I’m Black. I shouldn’t have to apologize that I’m a nerd. I should not have to apologize that I am hearing impaired; but when we are allowed to be unapologetically who we are, we are able to bring that 100% to the table. And when you think about people being able to bring their 100% to the table and not have to deal with everything else, think about just how amazing those people are... how much more you can accomplish, and how much… bigger the dreams can be.”