Advancing the transformative benefits of ABLE.
Ambassadors are CalABLE account holders who represent the diversity of California by the type of disability, age, gender, ethnicity and geographic region. Using their personal stories, they promote the benefits of CalABLE, empower individuals with disabilities to have greater independence, more financial security and an overall better quality of life.
Meet Your CalABLE Ambassadors
Armand Bujanda
Armand is from Los Angeles County, 28 years old, and a recent college graduate with a non-profit management degree. Armand has a cortical visual impairment.
In 2018-2019, he was on the Youth Advisory Council for YO! Disabled & Proud, a program of the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers (CFILC). He shares his passion for the youth with disabilities community by working at his local Independent Living Center. His duties include working with youth transitioning from high school to college, helping people apply for benefits, and sharing information on financial independence through CalABLE. Armand's CalABLE account goal is to move into an apartment and attend graduate school at Arizona State University. His hobbies include listening to music, hiking, and watching movies.
Antonio Contreras
Antonio is from Alameda County, 21 years old, and currently attends the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in Atlanta, Georgia. Georgia Tech offers an inclusive four-year college program for students like Antonio who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.
He is working towards achieving two certificates—one in Academic Enrichment, Social Fluency and Career Exploration, and another in Social Growth, Leadership, and Career Development. This semester, Antonio is enrolled in four classes, one of which is a financial literacy class to learn about managing his CalABLE account and using his prepaid debit card. He resides in a student apartment with three other roommates, works part-time at L.A. Fitness and Decatur CoWorks, has an internship on campus at the Student Information Desk, and uses his CalABLE account to save money from his jobs and to pay for his college expenses.
Antonio’s outside activities include joining the public speaking club and a church group on campus, and serving as a Buddy Director for the Georgia Tech Best Buddies chapter. Antonio was involved with Best Buddies Northern California for several years. He and his friends started a friendship chapter in high school, and he was also a California State Ambassador. Best Buddies provided job support for Antonio in his congressional internship with Congressman Ro Khanna (CA-17) last year. Antonio loves playing basketball. His favorite teams are the Golden State Warriors and the Atlanta Hawks.
Gordon Fuller
Gordon is from Sonoma County and is 66 years old. He is a visionary entrepreneur known for his innovation in virtual/augmented reality, artificial intelligence, spatial web and Blockchain networks.
He is the Co-director of the Inclusive Cities Lab at the World Enabled/Victor Pineda Foundation, working to eliminate the digital divide for persons with disabilities and older persons in Smart Cities worldwide. Gordon is guided by his experience with progressive blindness, which he credits as launching his career as an entrepreneur, inventor and lifelong disability advocate. He is the host and producer for “Fullervision”, a production company focused on innovation, inclusion and diversity. “Fullervision” features commentary and interviews with entrepreneurial thought leaders. He is an Entrepreneurial Fellow engaged in “It’s Our Story Project”, a 15-year project documenting the history of the disability rights and independent living movements. Gordon hosts a weekly discussion forum, “Spatial justice accessibility and inclusion”, as part of a new podcast series, “I Love You, Lead On.” As a CalABLE Ambassador, Gordon seeks to help account holders achieve financial independence by “unlocking human potential, believe in the power of vision to lift people and engage their joy.”
Miguel Lugo
Miguel is from Los Angeles County, 39 years old, and a motivational speaker. He is also a comedian using the stage name “El Chueco” and refers to himself as a sit-down comedian because he was born with cerebral palsy.
He was told by the doctors he would never walk, however with hard work and an encouraging mother, he started walking. Miguel is passionate and inspires people with his positive attitude and approach to life. He does not consider himself disabled, but a person living with a disability. He has previous experience working with disabled adults and understands the financial value of opening a CalABLE account. His CalABLE goal is to begin a non-profit company, so he can assist people in his community.
Alan Reid
Alan Reid is from Marin County, the father of Mason, who passed away from a brain tumor at age 23. After his initial diagnosis, Mason underwent various treatments along with setbacks including a massive cerebral hemorrhage at age 13 that caused him to relearn how to walk, talk, and eat all over again.
Above all, Mason and his family sought to build a meaningful life despite difficult and unpredictable circumstances. He was excited and proud to attend the Pathways program at UCLA. He was an artist at the Cedars Art Studio, and his work was featured in numerous exhibits. Alan rolled over Mason’s 529 account into a CalABLE account to help defer the costs of Mason’s medical needs and provide a level of financial security. Alan, a former financial services leader, believes financial advisors should educate themselves on the benefits of CalABLE and recommend a CalABLE account for any family that meets the eligibility.
Angelina Neglia
Angelina is from San Diego County, the mother of Tyler, who is 23 years old. Tyler Schutz has Kabuki Syndrome, attends City College majoring in Radio Television Video Film Production, and is also doing a paid internship with a video film production company with the help of the San Diego Regional Center.
“Having a CalABLE account will help Tyler finally save money for all his medical and living expenses while also teaching him how to plan long-term for his career and future, just as you and I are able to do,” says Tyler’s mom, Angelina. “The CalABLE program opens the door to life's possibilities for Tyler.”
Sandra Smith
Sandra is from Sacramento County, the mother of Chad, who is 39 years old. Sandra is the former chair to the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCDD) and is the Chair for Disability Rights California.
Her son Chad has autism and she describes herself as a “seasoned disability consumer, parent and child advocate trainer.” Sandra is using her CalABLE account to provide financial independence for her son.
Jenny Zegarra Huacachi
Jenny is from San Joaquin County, the mother of Melissa, who is 25 years old. Jenny has been a community activist since she arrived to the United States from Peru. Melissa was born with Down Syndrome.
Jenny advocated for Melissa’s education, which allowed her to be mainstreamed and receive her high school diploma. She is a voice in the Hispanic community and understands the financial barriers. Jenny recently opened a CalABLE account so she could invest and save for Melissa’s future.
These stories describe the circumstances and experiences of specific account owners of CalABLE. It may not be representative of the experience of other CalABLE account owners and is not indicative of future performance or success. Individual results may vary.
