From 15 - 18 April 2008, Denise Kavin and Minoru Yoshida represented PEN-International at the PEPNet 2008 national conference in Columbus, Ohio. PEN-International was the primary co-sponsor of this biannual conference, attended by approximately 300 individuals from all over the USA, including Alaska and Hawaii. The four regional centers of PEPNet, funded by the US Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, provide personnel development, technical assistance and dissemination, and technology-based activities to secondary and postsecondary institutions, community agencies, deaf and hard of hearing students, and their families.

PEN-International had a strong, visible presence at the conference including recognition during the opening ceremonies, a program book ad and exhibit, and three presentations. Denise Kavin presented two workshops: "PEN-International's Summer Leadership Institute for Postsecondary Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students" (10+ attendees) and "Deaf Professionals in Education and Social Services: Their Career Mobility Experiences- An Anecdotal Study" (40+ attendees). Minoru Yoshida was part of a plenary student panel discussion, "The Diversity Piece- Where Does It Fit in the Puzzle?" (300+ attendees), where he talked about his experiences as an international student navigating the American postsecondary education system.