What began as a job at Eglin Air Force Base more than 14 years ago recently took Theresa Wohlfarth all the way to Capitol Hill.

The Mary Esther resident and Global Connections to Employment (GCE)’s Team Member of the Year traveled to Washington, D.C., as part of the SourceAmerica Grassroots Advocacy Conference, where she shared her personal career journey with lawmakers and advocated for employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Accompanied by Lori Kain, GCE’s senior director of government affairs and advocacy, Wohlfarth met with congressional leaders and their staff, including representatives from Florida and several other states where GCE provides services. Wohlfarth shared about GCE’s mission and the importance of employment opportunities for people with disabilities. She also highlighted the critical work GCE team members perform in support of military installations and federal agencies across the country.

For Wohlfarth, the experience was an opportunity to share firsthand how employment can create opportunities for career growth.

“I got to tell my story, how I became a mail clerk and worked my way up to a project manager,” Wohlfarth said. “I told them how I didn’t let my disability hold me back.”

Wohlfarth joined GCE in 2012 as a mail clerk at Eglin Air Force Base. Over the years, she advanced through multiple leadership positions before becoming a project manager, overseeing operations at the installation’s Official Mail Center. Earlier this year, she was named GCE’s Team Member of the Year in recognition of her contributions and commitment to helping others succeed.

While meeting with lawmakers, Wohlfarth spoke about the broader impact of employment opportunities for people with disabilities, sharing examples not only from her own career but from coworkers across GCE’s various lines of business.

“I not only told my story, but I also spoke for others,” Wohlfarth said. “I talked about my employees here. I talked about the dining facility, the IT people and everybody.”

The trip also gave Wohlfarth an opportunity to represent Northwest Florida on a national stage, meeting self-advocates and nonprofit professionals from across the country while sharing the impact of GCE’s work at Eglin Air Force Base and other federal installations.

After returning home, Wohlfarth said she was grateful for the chance to advocate for others and proud to represent both her coworkers and the organization she has called home for more than 14 years.

“I told them everybody can make something of themselves,” Wohlfarth said. “If you really want to do it, you can do it.”