I was raised as an undiagnosed neurodivergent Jehovah's Witness. I often felt alone, and found being raised under this religion made it more difficult to make social connections - especially when already having social difficulty. People were hard to read and understand as it was, but being restricted to only interacting with fellow Witnesses made it feel impossible to make friends, or to grasp the concept of what casual socialization was without the concept or hold of religion. I have since left the religion and over years of practice and discovery, I have found myself as a person and have figured out how to go about life functionally. I strongly believe if I were not raised a Jehovah's Witness, I would have learned and built social relations easier and without guilt or fear of disownership. I also believe if I were given the understanding and patience of my neurodivergence, I could have received tools and resources to aide the difficulties I had as a neurodivergent individual earlier in life. This part of myself felt shameful to bring to the Kingdom Hall and it was not a welcome space in that regard. I aspire for a life of serving families and the community. I am currently a Registered Behavioral Technician. My career consists of implementing ABA therapy 1-1 with children on the autism spectrum. I teach life skills, communication skills, self-advocacy, and provide the necessary tools to allow growth and development that would not be possible outside of the therapy practice. I have found a calling in this career that is greater than any calling I've felt before. I was unable to receive these therapeutic services whenever I was a child and find great fulfilment in being apart of this service. My goals in life are set on a foundation of education. The ultimate goal is to eventually get my masters degree in applied behavioral analysis so I can become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. In order to achieve this, I will need 6 years or higher of college education. I plan on using earned scholarships to fund my college education. I will get a bachelors degree in special education. This will also provide the opportunity to work within school systems if I chose to change career paths. I currently use social platforms to advocate for those who are neurodivergent. I would love to eventually host workshops and speaking conferences to educate and spread awareness for those who are on the spectrum. I want to push for the independent capability for those who are disabled, and push for accessibility everywhere, especially in rural areas where resources are limited or put elsewhere. I want to be part of a movement that fights for the rights of all, regardless of who they are or what they look like. Everybody deserves dignity and respect. I will be a voice for those who can't speak and I will be a provider of tools and resources to make it so that everybody can have a say. I will always be an advocate and ally to the neurodivergent community.