Dr. Diane L. Peters

Maybe you're tired of hearing about our fundraiser. We get it. 😂 So today, instead of asking first, we want to show you what you're helping make possible. In the last few years, this little Foundation built around Sampson's legacy has helped turn “service dogs don't belong in laboratories” into real change. Tell us, what part of Sampson's legacy means the most to you? 🐾 We advocated for the CDC/NIH clarification addressing service dog access in laboratories. 🐾 We helped universities develop individualized approaches to laboratory access instead of relying on blanket exclusions. 🐾 We completed an 8-module educational course addressing service dog access—including laboratory environments—for academic and clinical audiences. 🐾 We contributed an invited book chapter addressing disability and service dog access in research. 🐾We're now helping individual service dog teams with laboratory PPE, scholarships, resources and advocacy. 🐾 We provide scholarships for disabled students in science acandemics. 🐾 We provide financial aid and individual support, advocacy and act as liaisons, often free of charge for people with disabilities facing adversity. 🐾 We have traveled over 127,899 miles giving keynotes, conducting lab risk assessments, and often going toe-to-toe with people who think individuals with disabilities should not be in science. And perhaps our favorite measure of progress: universities are contacting us because service dog handlers are entering science programs and need support. That's why we're still asking. We have two days left and $4,490 to go. We're not asking you to fund an idea. We're asking you to help us continue something that's already working. Donate. Share. Comment. Tell someone why Sampson's Legacy matters to you. One voice started this journey. Sampson may be retired now, but he is beside me everyday, Pax travels and supports this mission. This community is what keeps it moving forward—one paw print at a time. 🐾💙 You can donate here: givebutter.com/fund-scholars…

BEST! FriYAY! ANNOUNCEMENT! EVER! Nominations are officially OPEN for the 2026 Paw Prints for Humanity Award! Do you know someone who opens doors, removes barriers, creates opportunities, challenges the status quo, or makes a meaningful difference in the lives of people with disabilities? We want to hear their story. The Paw Prints for Humanity Award, presented by Sampson’s Legacy Foundation, recognizes individuals whose leadership, advocacy, innovation, service, or actions leave a lasting impact on the lives of others. This isn't just about titles, résumés, or accolades. It's about IMPACT. The barriers they removed. The opportunities they created. The lives they changed. The paw print they left behind. 🐾 Know someone who deserves to be recognized? NOMINATE THEM! 📅 Nominations close: November 6, 2026 at 11:59 PM MST 🏆 Winner(s) announced no later than: December 1, 2026 🐾 Who has left a lasting paw print on your life or your community? Tell us their story. Go to our nomination page here: sampsonslegacyfoundation.com…

Mom here: We need your help—not because these students need saving, but because they deserve the opportunity to succeed. As a person with a disability pursuing an education and career in science, I know firsthand how difficult it can be to fund an education when your path doesn’t look like everyone else’s. I relied on grants and scholarships. Without them, there were points when continuing my education simply would not have been possible. Students with disabilities are often extraordinarily driven. They learn to solve problems differently because they navigate barriers every day. They adapt. They innovate. They advocate. They challenge policies that need changing, open doors that were previously closed, and very often make the path easier for the people coming behind them. But traditional scholarships don’t always recognize that kind of achievement. That is why we created Sampson’s Legacy Foundation. We look beyond the GPA—while still valuing academic achievement—and consider the determination it took to earn it. We look beyond the traditional résumé and consider the barriers overcome along the way. We look beyond conventional measures of leadership and ask: Who have they reached? What have they changed? What problem are they trying to solve? What could they contribute to the future if someone simply invests in their opportunity to get there? We have been reaching out to corporate sponsors, but we still need help from our community to reach our scholarship funding goal. If you believe students with disabilities belong in science, academia, leadership, advocacy, and the rooms where the future is being shaped, please consider supporting Sampson’s Legacy Foundation. You aren't simply funding an education. You may be funding the next scientist, innovator, advocate, policy changer—or the person who opens the door for hundreds of others. Help us invest in what they can become. 🐾 This mission is deeply personal and your support means the world! Thank you! Support Sampsons Legacy Foundation here: givebutter.com/fund-scholars… Please share!

Mom here: Sampson’s Legacy Foundation is Sampson’s legacy in every sense of the word. This scholarship program is deeply personal to me because I know what it means to need someone else to believe in your potential. I was only able to complete my own education because of the generosity of others and the scholarships I worked incredibly hard to earn. Those scholarships weren’t simply handed to me—they were an investment in what I was capable of becoming. That is exactly what we want to do for the students who come to Sampson’s Legacy Foundation. Our scholarship recipients are bright, talented, determined individuals with disabilities who have worked hard for their opportunities. Sometimes they simply need someone willing to invest in them—to help remove one financial barrier standing between them and what they are capable of achieving. This week, we are just $300 away from reaching our fundraising milestone. It may be a small piece of our overall goal, but every milestone gets us closer to funding our next scholarships. $10 helps. $25 helps. $50 helps. And sharing this post helps. We are also actively seeking corporate sponsors and community partners who want to invest in the education and future of talented students with disabilities. I cannot build Sampson’s legacy alone. I need others to believe in these students the way others once believed in me. Help us reach that next $300—and then keep going. ❤️🐾 Donate. Share. Sponsor. Invest in someone’s future. Thank you to those who have shared and donated! Help us here: givebutter.com/fund-scholars… #SampsonsLegacyFoundation #Scholarships #DisabilityInclusion #HigherEducation #InvestInPotential #CorporateSponsorship #GiveBack

For everyone who wants to join us for the NIH Listening session here is the link to sign up! Mom will be presenting an oral comment on the importance of service dog inclusion to science and biosafety oversight! Thank you for your support! osp.od.nih.gov/events/streng…

📣 Scholarship Update — Spring 2026 Great news! The Sampson’s Legacy Foundation has extended the application deadline for our Spring 2026 Academic Scholarship 🎓🐾 This scholarship supports students with a disability pursuing higher education—because access, inclusion, and opportunity should never be limited. If you—or a student you know—could benefit from academic or accommodation-related support, there’s still time to apply. ✨ Deadline extended to Feb 20th. ✨ Open to qualified students with a disability ✨ STEM and non-STEM fields welcome 👉 Apply now and help us spread the word. Because education should be accessible to every capable mind. Apply here: sampsonslegacyfoundation.com…

SPRING SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY!!! Please share! Applications for the Sampsons Legacy Foundation 2026 Spring Scholarships are now open! These scholarships are for all students who have an identified disability. Scholarship applications will close on January 31, 2026 at 11:59pm. sampsonslegacyfoundation.com…

SPRING 2026 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION OPENS IN 6 DAYS! January 1, 2026 we will be opening the applications for the Sampsons Legacy Foundation Scholarship Awards. Mark your calendar! To continue providing $1000's of dollars a year in academic scholarships to outstanding students with disabilities - we need your help! Please give the gift of an education, or financial aid to students who are in need. We can continue to make this happen with YOUR generosity! We will be highlighting some of our previous award recipients over the coming weeks! Your donations make a difference in our future! Thank you all! To make a donation: sampsonslegacyfoundation.com…

WE NEED YOUR HELP! When Mom was in college as a disabled person, recovering from a brain injury, and struggling with a broken body, she found it exceedingly difficult to earn scholarships. Many people with disabilities, who need the financial support, struggle in this area. This is just ONE reason we have developed the Sampsons Legacy Foundation (see link below). Disability may prevent students from accessing financial aid for college and graduate school, because of reduced course loads, extended number of semesters before the completion of a degree, difficulty with test taking and scholarship essay writing, an inability to participate in college work-study programs due to the nature of a disability, and discrimination against graduate school assistants with disabilities. Mom has been there and KNOWS how hard this process is. She never wants that for anyone else! Our goal has always been to support people with disabilities in education and into the workforce. You can help us help them! We are not asking for financial support for vacations, cars, houses, luxuries, or even a salary for ourselves or Board members! All proceeds go DIRECTLY to helping those in need, with one scholarship designated specifically for service dog handlers in science! You can make the difference by donating to our mission. The scholarship program for the fall has launched. If you would like to be a part of donating to this effort, please visit our website sampsonslegacyfoundation.com & click on the donate link OR contribute via our GoFundMe site gofund.me/078e3829 to add to our non-profit! Thank you!