Boldly, Unapologetically Me. I have Autism. Without trying I am boldly, unapologetically "me". Most of the time, to be honest, I end up being myself by default. That thing called social cues? Recent fashion trends? Memes? All of it is pretty much not on my radar. By default, without trying, I am a one of a kind human. Most of the time, I don't mind being on the outside looking in. If people were kind, I'm ok being different. I don't need to be popular nor do I care. I don't notice the trends. I mostly care about being comfortable. But there are times I do wish others would look below the surface. I think most people think because I have Autism I don't care about friendships or being included. I think they also feel that because I miss social cues I don't have empathy. I speak truth. I am honest. I never would purposely hurt or make fun of another human. I know how it feels when others look through you like I don't exist. I notice. Maybe having Autism means I don't feel the pressure to conform? I don't know how. And even if I do puzzle out the subtle social message, it can be hours or days later before I understand what a peer actually was telling me to do. I do wish that more people in this world celebrated who people are. I wish that I could be measured by my strengths and unique talents, not by a standardized test. I actually like who I am. I know I am intelligent and have much to give to this world. I just wish others saw it too. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Creating Connection. There once was a scrawny kid named Levi who joined the swim team. He love the water but had no idea how to competitively swim. He was 80 lbs. and under 5 feet tall. He had no idea how to do a flip turn and was terrified to dive off the blocks. Seriously, for years they tell you not to dive in shallow water; then join a team and insist you go head first as fast as you can? The kid Levi, he has Autism, Cerebral Palsy, and ADHD. When he is figuring out a problem inside his head, he may absentmindedly run into a tree or signpost. If you throw a ball at him, it can slip through his hands and imprint "Wilson" on his forehead. He is last in every foot race and needs an electric assist bike to move around town. That kid joined the swim team. On the swim team, that kid Levi? He was able to learn. On the swim team, his teammates encouraged progress, even when it was small. On the swim team, that kid Levi was allowed to be normal, just another kid messing around in the pool at the end of practice. By my senior year (now) I was allowed to lead in my own way. I am not the up front loud stereotypical captain, instead I lead by example. I am not a state level swimmer, instead I teach younger swimmers because I understand that sometimes a skill takes more time. My coach says that the younger guys trust me. That is the best compliment I could receive. I am not ever going to be celebrated as a high level athlete. But on the team, I know I made the pool safer, represented inclusion, and allowed the other guys around me to authentically be themselves; as is. Just by being me.

I think you are able to display empathy towards others more genuinely when you have already struggled in some way personally first. You want me to talk about empathy, knowing and understanding the feelings and perspective of someone else. Often I think people confuse empathy with sympathy. Or right now a bunch of my classmates just want to make their college applications look better. You see, I am the kid who isn’t supposed to go to college. I was born early and spent hours each week hanging out with my “special teachers” aka what I called my early childhood therapy professionals. I thought everyone went to these “teachers” to learn to talk, walk, and eat. See, my medical chart says I have Cerebral Palsy, Autism, ADHD, and Dyslexia. I guess when some people see those terms they assume I am dumb. Who knows, maybe a high school kid will write about me? That would be funny. For the last 6 years, I have been on the Boys Swim and Dive team at my high school. My first year on the team I was terrible! But for the first time ever, I was treated as "normal" You see, swimming isn't exactly a fancy sport. There are very few Homecoming Kings that come from the swim team. I was treated with empathy; my teammates stood by my side in a relay and cheered me on from the end of the pool during individual events. They celebrated my time improvements and never spoke down to me or made me feel like an outsider. As I got older I was able to be a quiet leader for the younger swimmers as the team includes grades 7-12 due to the school's smaller size. Because of my strength differences, I will never be a state level swimmer. But I made the Section team this year. Decent progress over 6 years considering I started with a strong dog paddle and a fear of putting my face in the water. Now I get to show empathy to the newer swimmers. To learn anything new, I usually have to repeat the skill many more times than my peers. I also need something broken down into tiny steps to move my body in the correct way. I understand, more than most high school kids, that you have to work hard to learn something new. And because it takes me a crazy long time to master a new skill, I am pretty patient teaching the younger guys. Being on the swim team has allowed me to be truly included in high school when most other areas of school I am the kid who needs extra support. On the team, I am able to lead in my own way; quietly and by example. On the swim team, any body willing to try is welcome. On the swim team we celebrate improvement not perfection. There aren't many places in high school where a kid who misses social cues and walks into a tree when distracted inside their head can be authentically safe. This fall, my varsity swim coach wrote me a letter of recommendation for college applications. In the letter she said "Levi is a leader for the other swimmers, they look up to him because of his honesty, integrity, and authenticity in the pool... Levi is someone that the other swimmers trust." To be empathetic, you need to understand another's perspective at the heart level. Every kid deserves to belong on a team, no matter their swim time.

I am the kid who isn’t supposed to go to college. I was born early and spent hours each week hanging out with my “special teachers” aka what I called my early childhood therapy professionals. I thought everyone went to these “teachers” to learn to talk, walk, and eat. When I was 6 years old, doctors told my mom I should be in a classroom with only kids with needs. Even early in high school, standard tests gave me feedback that I was “limited” in my academic goals after I graduated. My medical chart and IEP state I have Cerebral Palsy, Autism, ADHD, and Dyslexia. Some people when they see those terms assume I'm stupid. I am not dumb. I just learn and process information differently than some kids. Despite being told I did not have the skills to graduate from high school, I am a senior with a 3.5 GPA; in hard college level math and science courses. Despite needing 10 years of speech, PT, and OT when I was younger, I was able to be on the boys varsity swim team for 6 years; I even made the section team this year. I am never going to be the up from team captain. I lead by example. In 6 years I missed three practices; one for a college visit and two because I had a fever of 103. My coach tells me I am determined. I shrug; working hard is normal for me as not much has been simple or easy most of the time. I want to enrich others in my community by being an example to kids who are "othered" I want to quietly prove doctors, therapist, and standardized tests wrong. I want another kid who is wearing leg braces and attending therapy instead of Little League baseball this summer to know that as a person you can always learn and grow; even if you do it on your own time. I want to show those who see my "labels" that this is not a red flag to alert them to my deficits. A diagnosis is not an excuse nor gives me a pass to opt out of life. I want people to see me, see my labels and instead of disability; see strength. Now- don't get me wrong. I will never be the human who will max out on the bench press or develop those abdominals muscles that bounce quarters. My strength is hidden. My leadership is through quiet example. And my community impact? Hopefully a chance to charge the narrative around ability while giving kids in a rehab clinic hope. Because I am more than my labels. So are they. Levi

My parents were told I would never live on my own independently. The first cognitive testing I had at age 6 labeled me low mental ability with a 69 IQ. I didn't talk until age 5 years. I went to weekly Physical Therapy for three years before I learned to ride a bike. I didn't learn to read until 5th grade. If this scholarship is for underrepresented kids, I think I qualify. My medical and school records state I am on the Autism Spectrum, have Dyslexia and ADHD, and since birth have Cerebral Palsy. Kids with different learning needs, with neurodiverse brains, or with physical differences attend college at a much lower rate than their neurotypical peers. As for positive impact, I don't know the details yet. I'm 17 years old. Most days my plans center around my next meal or activity. But what I do know is that I represent a community of people who often are not given the opportunity to attend college. I represent a community that is often underemployed or do not have a job at all. I represent a community of people often left on the sidelines who are given the message they are not needed nor do they belong in public. My positive impact starts with just being present in spaces not often frequented by neurodiverse people. My positive impact is when I can model what hard work paired with the right supports can do for a kid once told they would never leave home. My positive impact is making sure my ideas, my problem solving, my unique brain abilities are part of the conversation in professional places. My positive impact is to hopefully make a path for others with learning differences to follow. I have a love of science, a visual memory, excellent attention to details, and skills with visual spatial hands on learning. When I was little I loved Legos but I didn't have the hand strength to snap the pieces together. I figured out when I needed to push a piece down more than I had the finger coordination for, I could take a small spoon or a stick from the yard to push it into place. I have a small set of "Lego tools" in my room for years. If I needed a piece removed; I used my teeth . My parents didn't like that much. My mom also was not a fan that for a time my favorite item to chew on was the small Lego wheels that came extra in some of the kits. I tell you this story from when I was young because my most positive impact I will have on the world or my community will be my creative problem solving. When you have a brain that works a bit different, sometimes you can be told you are less smart than other kids my age. I prefer to think that my brain difference is a benefit, a different way of thinking that I hope will help me solve something related to science, the environment, or in designing engineer solutions. Instead of being told I am less, I prefer to think of myself as unique. My view could help someone either accept Autism and learning difference or my view could help our world function, run more smoothly, or be a safer place for others in my community. I am a realist. But this is positive in impact. Levi Thanks. Levi