LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A Las Vegas college student has been selected as a 2026 Rising Leader by the Tourette Association of America, making him the first person to represent Nevada in the organization's national advocacy effort.
Peter Ferranti, a student at both UNLV and the College of Southern Nevada, will travel to Washington, D.C., on March 4 to join youth advocates from across the country for the Tourette Association of America's "Trip to the Hill." The Tourette Association has no chapters in Nevada, making his participation a first for the state.
WATCH | Hear from Peter Ferranti about his advocacy
Ferranti will meet with lawmakers to advocate for more research funding, education, and support for Tourette syndrome — a widely misunderstood neurological disorder that causes involuntary motor and vocal tics.
During his trip, Ferranti is scheduled to meet with U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jackie Rosen.
Ferranti said he hopes to change how elected officials understand the disorder and its related conditions.
"Helping people — specifically congressmen and women — understand the difficulties with Tourette's syndrome and the difficulties with the comorbidities that associate with that, with autism and OCD and ADD and ADHD, all those are comorbidities to Tourette's syndrome. They coincide with each other, and a lot of those things are not honestly taken seriously in school."
Ferranti said his trip is about breaking stereotypes and building support for those living with neurological disorders.
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