I am a first-generation, minority student and a single mother of 3. My youngest son Jayden, was diagnosed with severe autism at 18 months old, and the lack of resources in my community left us on a waiting list for 3 years for services, which was detrimental to his development. After he began self-harming as a toddler, and my cries for help fell on deaf ears, I knew my only option was to return to school to gain as much knowledge as possible, to not only help him, but also other children in my community. My goal is to earn my bachelor's degree in Psychology and move into a graduate program to become a Certified Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapist. But, my dream career would be to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (which would require a lot of funds, and not much more education). Communities like mine, need more resources, advocates, and providers, to improve the quality of life for the growing number of autistic children, and support their families. My education is just the beginning of my path to changing lives and my community.