As a person with cerebral palsy, Brayden Scott is a nonverbal communicator who navigates campus using a wheelchair. Mark Cornelison | UK Photo
When Brayden Scott first imagined leaving his hometown of London, Kentucky, it wasn’t simply about going to college. It was about finding a place where he could be seen — and heard — for who he is.
A first-generation college student with cerebral palsy, Scott is a nonverbal communicator who navigates campus using a wheelchair. During his time at the University of Kentucky, he emerged as a storyteller, writer and editor — proving that strong journalism is built on precision, accuracy and voice, no matter how that voice is expressed.
This week, Scott will graduate from UK with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, marking a milestone shaped by resilience, self-belief and a deep connection to a campus community that became his second home.
‘I just had to believe in myself’
The decision to leave home for college was not an easy one. Scott had never lived away from his family, and the uncertainty of a large college campus brought fears — for him and for his parents.
“My parents were scared, and I was, too,” Scott said. “I had never been away from home, but I couldn’t let the fear of what might happen let nothing happen. I never saw college as an avenue until high school, and even then, I had my doubts. It all worked itself out, though. I just had to believe in myself.”
That belief led Scott to the UK College of Communication and Information, where his longtime interest in writing became the foundation for his academic and professional path. Writing had always come naturally to Scott, encouraged by teachers who recognized his talent early on.
“I had always been a writer, and people in high school told me I needed to pursue writing as a career,” he said.
As a journalism major, Scott honed the skills that allow him to communicate clearly and confidently through text — something he describes as both a strength and a craft he takes seriously.
“Written communication is my way of talking,” Scott said. “I’m able to pick up on written mistakes fast. I notice when something doesn’t read right. Is it because I’m nonverbal? Maybe. Or it could just be the fact that I’m a perfectionist, and every little detail has to be perfect.”
Scott’s attention to detail found a natural home at the Kentucky Kernel, where he served as a copy editor. The position further sharpened his editorial skills and broadened his understanding of journalism’s role in representing varied viewpoints.
“Brayden has truly been the MVP of the Kernel; he is our secret weapon,” said Giana Gallo, editor-in-chief of the Kentucky Kernel and one of Scott’s fellow May graduates. “He joined the staff with a mission to become the best copy editor in our history, and in my mind, he has absolutely achieved that. He is an incredibly hardworking colleague, constantly seeking perfection and making all of our work better for it.”
His talent was evident early on to his professors. In her introductory journalism course, Assistant Professor Jen Smith said Scott’s first assignment stood out immediately.
“He’s a student who has no [verbal] voice, but he has such a strong, clear writing voice,” Smith said. “His voice was so much a part of the paper that I felt like I could hear him reading it.”
When she shared that feedback with Scott, he responded the way he communicates most often — by typing into his phone a phrase that she still thinks about daily.
“Writing is all I have.”
From that point on, Smith and her School of Journalism and Media colleagues did everything they could to make sure Scott had the support he needed to succeed.
“I worked with fellow faculty members, Allyson DeVito and David Stephenson, to make our journalism program as accessible for Brayden as possible,” Smith said. "Allyson worked with the UK Disability Resource Center to try and get specialized equipment he could use with his wheelchair. She really went above and beyond. David got connected with Brayden via the drone journalism class. Turns out, Brayden is a pretty good drone pilot, too."
Beyond skill-building, Scott says it was the people — faculty and peers — who defined his experience at UK and helped him feel grounded from the start.
“The whole journalism department made me feel at home,” he said. “From the moment I took my Journalism 101 class with Jen Smith, I felt that I was where I belonged. Then, I joined the Kernel senior year and made lifelong friendships.”
“Brayden has a gift for brightening anyone’s day, whether he’s sharing a hilarious story or cracking a joke,” Gallo said. “He has become a great friend of mine and the person I will always trust as my ‘AP Style police.’”
Scott says the friendships and sense of belonging he found at UK stood in contrast to earlier experiences, where assumptions often overshadowed his abilities.
“[Most people] don’t recognize the fact that I’m not intellectually handicapped. They just see that I have a physical disability and make assumptions,” he said. “[My professors] never saw my disability. They only saw my potential as a writer.”
For Smith, that perspective is exactly what defines Scott’s impact.
“He told me his whole life he wanted to be seen as more than a disabled person, and that he found that here,” she said. “That might be the highest compliment we could receive.”
As he prepares to leave UK, Scott is already looking ahead. A lifelong motorsports fan, he plans to pursue a career in motorsports journalism, combining his editorial skills with a personal passion.
“I’ve always been involved in cars and motorsports,” he said. “Everyone in my family is major racing fans.”
After graduation, Scott will continue to refine his craft by writing for Backroads of Appalachia, a nonprofit organization that brings motorsports tourism to small towns.
“With my job at Backroads, it'll be the closest thing I can do to be involved in racing and be an efficient asset,” he said.
His journey, he says, is not defined by disability, but by determination — a message he hopes others will carry with them.
“People with disabilities are just as capable as those without,” Scott said. “A disability doesn’t define who a person is. They can do anything if they set their minds towards it.”
For current and future students — and especially for those who have been told their goals are out of reach — Scott offers simple advice.
“Do what you want, even if people tell you can’t. You are the only person who can make your dreams come true.”
As Scott prepares to cross the Commencement stage this Friday, he will leave UK not only with a degree, but with a body of work, a professional direction and a community that helped him realize what was possible.