By Ally Hadge, Features Editor
Dr. Rochelle Kohn attended Brooklyn College where she majored in psychology. She then attended Teachers College, Columbia University and received a master’s degree in psychological counseling and rehabilitation. Dr. Kohn then completed a doctorate in applied psychology at NYU. She has been working as the director of the Disabilities Center at Stern for eighteen years, dedicated to helping students succeed.
Ms. Espinosa-Rafkin received both her undergraduate degree in rehabilitation psychology and her master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This is her first year serving as the coordinator of the Disability Center.
What’s one thing you love about working at YU?
Dr. Kohn: The great environment. The students are great and a lot of students appreciate that we are here. This is the longest time I have been at any job and that’s a good sign.
How would you describe the school community and its approach to supporting students with disabilities?
Dr. Kohn: I think it has changed over time. When I first came here, that is when the disabilities service really began. I think culturally, in general, in the United States, it has changed for people with different kinds of disabilities. It was a natural progression that it became more acceptable here for professors, for students to disclose more and feel more comfortable about being who they are and getting what they are entitled to in terms of accommodations or accessibility.
Ms. Espinosa-Rafkin: I am pleasantly surprised at how open the students are about coming to our office. It is nice [that] they are ready to come in, get help, and advocate for themselves.
What inspired you to work in disability services and education?
Dr. Kohn: Students get in based on their merit, not based on their disability. They get in based on being regular college students. We are here to teach them to advocate for themselves, which is a big part of what students need. It is important for them to feel comfortable with who they are and know that they are the same as everyone else, but sometimes they do things differently and that’s okay.
If you could bring one new initiative to the Disabilities Center, with unlimited resources, what would it be?
Dr. Kohn: I would love a testing center. We proctor a lot of students who are entitled to reduced distraction or have extended time, but the professors cannot stay to proctor them. So, they bring the students here. Sometimes there are a lot of students here and we have to juggle what spaces are available.
Can you share a creative solution you’ve come up with to support a student or program?
Dr. Kohn: We’ve got a new program for note-taking that we are going to launch hopefully in the spring. Sometimes students have to rely on the professors to get notes, sometimes it takes time, and sometimes some students volunteer to share their notes. This is going to put control on the students who are entitled to receive notes. It’s going to now be placed in their hands.
What advice would you give to a student?
Dr. Kohn: We are not a scary place. We are looking to help students as much as we can. That’s the important thing they should know. They do not have to worry. It is not going anywhere. It is not on their record. This will relieve a lot of the anxiety and stress they have.
Ms. Espinosa-Rafkin: Learn as much as you can about what you are coming here to talk to us about. I think a lot of the time incoming students do not know that much because the high school or their parents always take care of everything. We are here to talk to you, not someone else.
If you could have any fictional character as your coworker, who would it be and why?
Dr. Kohn: The good witch in The Wizard of Oz. At the end of The Wizard of Oz, Glinda tells Dorothy to click her heels and that she is going to go home. She says to Dorothy: “You always had the power within you to do this, you just never believed in yourself enough.”
Ms. Espinosa-Rafkin: Maybe not specifically a fictional character, but I grew up really into comic books and I find now that comics are moving towards being more inclusive, especially with disabilities. I would love to sit down with any of those creators and talk about their work.
Photo Caption: Ms. Natalia Espinosa-Rafkin (left) and Dr. Rochelle Kohn
Photo Credit: The Disabilities Center