This guest post is by Steve Fisher, a young man who attends Murray State University. He is an advocate for the Spring 2025 Making a Difference Autism Scholarship via the nonprofit KFM Making a Difference started by me, Kerry Magro. I was nonverbal till 2.5 and diagnosed with autism at 4 and you can read more about my organization here.
Autistics on Autism the Next Chapter: Stories You Need to Hear About What Helped Them While Growing Up and Pursuing Their Dreams was released on Amazon on 3/25/25 and looks at the lives over 75 Autistic adults. 100% of the proceeds from this book will go back to supporting our nonprofits many initiatives, like this scholarship program. Check out the book here.
Living with autism and a learning disability is both challenging and rewarding. While I do struggle with math, with proper tutoring and support I can do well. I also must repeat skills multiple times to fully understand how to do them correctly and require more time to learn. I also need extra time for my exams and need a teacher to ask questions if I do not understand something on my exam. I also struggle with social skills and interpersonal skills; however, I have been getting better at picking up verbal and nonverbal cues and understanding what they are trying to tell me. I also do my assignments ahead of time and open them earlier to give myself enough time to complete them.
Next, it takes me longer to complete my homework assignments, and I sometimes require additional help. I work on my homework early and seek additional tutoring help when needed. When I am writing a paper, I usually look it over too fast, so I found it helpful to go to the tutor which makes writing a paper a little easier. I still am working on seeing others points of view during a conversation and not talking about myself all the time. I also get upset when I start something but then someone prevents me from completing a task usually irritates me. I also get irritated when I must break my routine and adapt to the changing environment around me. I also must practice my skills a lot, or I can easily forget and find it helpful to practice problems at least 8 to 10 times so I understand how to solve future homework problems.
I am currently a student at Murray State University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in aquatic biology. As a child, I enjoyed being around animals and dreamt of working with them in the future. Initially, I enjoyed land animals. As time progressed, however, I became more interested in marine animals. Over the years, I visited various aquariums with my family. I was fascinated by the way the marine animals interacted and behaved in the water.
Aquatic biology courses give me the opportunity to learn surveying and sampling techniques in addition to understanding the importance of fishery management and techniques. I plan to collaborate with environmental agencies to create more marine sanctuaries and participate in coral reef restoration efforts. This degree will allow me to work with species such as tiger sharks, octopuses, and pufferfish to study their behavior and reverse the negative impact that humanity has had on their marine ecosystem.
I plan to oversee and manage marine ecosystems and work with agencies such coral reef alliance to help protect the marine environment. I am interested in ensuring that marine conservation areas are properly protected and that the animals and their ecosystems are taken care of. In my career, I would like to assist with ensuring that fisheries make a difference for marine animals and assist with limiting the overall impact on the environment. Finally, I am interested in assisting with replanting coral reefs and monitoring and protecting endangered species.
If I am selected for this award, I will use it to pay for college tuition, Fees, Books, Room and Board and other expenses. This award would allow me to continue my education and reduce my student loan burdens. My parents are supporting my grandparents financially and making it hard for me to receive financial support from them. This scholarship will allow me to have the time needed to obtain tutoring and focus on my studies without having a high student loan burden.
In summary, this scholarship will help me focus on my studies, allow me to continue my studies, and reduce the student loan burden of financial.
Kerry Magro, a professional speaker and best-selling author who is also on the autism spectrum started the nonprofit KFM Making a Difference in 2011 to help students with autism receive scholarship aid to pursue a post-secondary education. Help us continue to help students with autism go to college by making a tax-deductible donation to our nonprofit here.
Also, consider having Kerry, one of the only professionally accredited speakers on the spectrum in the country, speak at your next event by sending him an inquiry here. If you have a referral for someone who many want him to speak please reach out as well! Kerry speaks with schools, businesses, government agencies, colleges, nonprofit organizations, parent groups and other special events on topics ranging from employment, how to succeed in college with a learning disability, internal communication, living with autism, bullying prevention, social media best practices, innovation, presentation best practices and much more!
