TBC Academic Scholarship

Throughout the years I never learned how to accept myself for who I was. I saw myself as an alien with a disease known as autism. During the summer I did community service at the Reach Program. This program opened my eyes as it showed me that having autism is as normal as having a mole on your face. This program made me feel like I was at home knowing I could be myself with those just like me. Doing this program gave me the idea that those with artificial ideologies towards autism also needed to see this side of autism and not what you see in movies. Once school started again in junior year I made a group where those with autism would be able to have a safe space as they expressed their opinions on autism and how it is being seen by the world. I led that group to the district board meeting where we expressed our feelings on stereotypes towards autism. Our speech is now gaining popularity as many begged us to use our speech in parent meetings and teacher training. This senior year I became the president of this first ever autism awareness club. And many have joined as they told me that they wanted to learn more about autism because of a family member, about themselves, and even about their parents. Throughout this experience, I learned to accept the autistic side of myself. The side that helps me generate ideas for artworks and classwork. The side that makes me who I am. I created a positive circle where those like me can be themselves without shame and embarrassment hiding within the shadows. That is what I believe the phrase 'pay it forward' means. I helped my community. I helped those like me with autism. I helped them by giving them a voice and a space to be themselves. A space I wished I had. A life lesson I got from this is that we need to understand someone from within before we decide to judge them. This has actually helped me in my classes as I’ve become more open minded with my classmates' ideas. I will continue to use this in future as a way to have an open and positive mindset. I can finally say that I gave back to a community so close to me. I can finally live with the fact that I accept myself for who I am.