Article by Hannah Olson | Photo courtesy of MSUB

When Tommy Roberts stood before 3,000 world leaders in Istanbul, Turkey, sharing his journey as a disability rights advocate, it was a moment he never could have imagined. A few short years earlier, Tommy was working in the mines of Montana, living a life focused on hard work and survival, never once thinking that college, human rights advocacy, or public speaking would be part of his story.

“College was never something I thought about before,” Tommy says. “I would have never thought of helping people before I was living with my disability. I’ve stopped chasing the dollar and have become more people-focused.”

In 2020, an electrical accident at work changed everything. The injury left Tommy with nerve damage, daily physical challenges, and, unexpectedly, a new mission in life. For two years, he poured himself into over 20 hours of rehabilitation therapy every week, not knowing what would come next, but determined to find meaning on the other side of tragedy.

As he began to heal, new doors began to open, doors that led him far beyond what he ever pictured for himself. Through a life-coaching program with the United States Institute of Diplomacy and Human Rights (USIDHR), Tommy found a mentor in founder Isabelle Vladoiu, who introduced him to the world of human and disability rights advocacy. Isabelle’s mentorship taught Tommy about fundamental human rights, concepts he had never considered before his accident. It encouraged him to see himself not as a victim, but as a voice for others.

In 2022, USIDHR invited him to their inaugural Disability Rights summit in Istanbul. There, he shared his story and personally met global leaders, including the Prime Minister and Governor of Turkey. Standing on that international stage, Tommy’s future became clear: he would dedicate himself to helping others.

When he returned to Montana, his advocacy work gained momentum. Governor Greg Gianforte appointed Tommy to the Montana State Rehabilitation Council, and he now serves as chair of the education and recruiting committee. “If I meet someone with a disability, I always start a conversation about the resources available to them,” he says, reflecting on his personal mission to empower others with knowledge and support.

Yet despite his growing leadership, Tommy encountered a new obstacle that many adult learners face. He didn’t have a bachelor’s degree; without it, doors in the human services field remained closed.

“I questioned why college was necessary when I had worked full-time with a GED before my accident,” he admits. But with a vision bigger than himself now guiding him, he made the leap and enrolled at Montana State University Billings.

Stepping onto campus in his mid-40s was a leap of faith. “I was skeptical when I first walked onto campus,” Tommy says. “I didn’t enjoy high school. This experience has been completely different.”

Today, Tommy is in his second semester at MSUB as a human services major, balancing his studies with life as a husband, foster parent, and employee. Unlike the traditional college experience, Tommy’s days are filled with managing responsibilities that many of his younger classmates are just beginning to imagine.

Support from MSUB’s Disability Support Services and TRIO Student Support Services has made all the difference. “I didn’t know where to go or who to talk to when I arrived,” he says. “But student support services got me where I needed to be. The more people that I can lean on to help me, the better off I will be as a student, especially in this learning stage, so early in my classes. This is a place that you can tell people really care about students and faculty, and they show it.”

Tommy’s presence on campus is hard to miss. He’s not just a student, he’s a mentor, often jokingly referred to as the “class dad” by his younger peers. “They come to me for advice about real-life experiences,” he says. His lived wisdom, hard- won through adversity, has made him a pillar of support in his classes and a future leader in the human services field.

Tommy’s ambitions don’t stop with graduation. He plans to grow his life-coaching business to serve up to 50 clients a year and work in vocational rehabilitation as a case manager, helping other Montanans navigate their own challenges. In the long term, he dreams of expanding his impact on a global level, continuing to work with USIDHR, and even partnering with the United Nations to advance human and disability rights worldwide.

Tommy is filled with a deep sense of purpose when reflecting on the road he's traveled. “I didn’t think a college degree was necessary to change careers,” he says, “but now I see how essential education is in this field. It’s absolutely necessary when you’re working with human emotions and their lives.”

From the depths of the mines to the heights of international advocacy, Tommy Roberts is proof that even the darkest moments can lead to the brightest futures, and that it’s never too late to change your life, or the lives of others.

Originally printed in the June 2025 issue of Simply Local Magazine

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