This guest post is by Hayden DiGennaro, a young man who will attend Misericordia 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.
I am an individual who has been gifted with autism spectrum disorder. Because of this I had to face many challenges growing up. I have had to deal with hyperactivity, trouble socializing, and trouble participating in school. However, I have also had many benefits, such as being very caring and understanding. People think that people with autism are weird and they will never have a stable relationship, but that is simply not true. I have been homeschooled for several year, but when I went back to high school I left left a lasting impression on the school, and I plan to do the same for college.
First, I will talk about my hyperactivity. I was horrible at sitting still, being quiet, and paying attention. For example, in kindergarten, I would always run around doing crazy things, and I have always had trouble listening to the teacher and remembering what she said. I was so wild in fact, that my mom had to homeschool me. Ever since I was a child, I would always run around, imagining epic battles in my head. I loved creating epic battles so much that I still do them to this very day. While other people just see a crazy person running around, I see ninja and dinosaurs fighting robots and demons. Fortunately, when I went to highschool, there was a sport that was all about running, it was called cross country. What is more is that I have a younger brother who is also very hyperactive, so we spend our time creating epic battles together.
Next, I will discuss how I have always had trouble in social situations. My social skills are another reason as to why I had to be homeschooled. I tried to get along with the other kids, but I could never do it, and I could not figure out why. For example, I would always ask my classmates if they wanted to play LEGO Star Wars, and they would all say no because no one knew what that was. I used to have difficulty with large events, crowds, bright lights, and loud noises. As I have gotten older, I have become better at handling loud noises and bright lights. I also have been better at socializing, thanks to the highschool drama club. Now, I am known as the extrovert of my family
Before I transition to my benefit, I will talk about my difficulty when it comes to participating in school. Ever since kindergarten, I hated writing and tests. Things didn’t get much better when I entered home school, where the work was a nightmare to deal with, and at some points I would break down crying. I have had many difficulties when I went back to brick and mortar school. One thing was homework, which to this day I still don’t understand, should we have not covered everything during the school day? Another thing I absolutely hated was study island, which was the worst thing ever in middle school. Not only are the right answers incorrect, but if you get a question wrong, then an annoying crab comes on screen and insults you. It is times like these that I am eternally grateful for my helper teachers in school, who have supported me from the beginning, and were always there to talk to me whenever I was upset.
Finally, I will talk about the benefit of being autistic, which is that I am very caring and understanding. I have been able to form many friendships and connections because of my ability to talk to people and connect with them. I have joined the kindness club in high school, which I have been in the newspaper for our efforts in donating stuffed animals to sick kids in hospital on Christmas. I also love cheering up my friends and family with my special back pain curing hug. I also just love to make other people happy, when people are happy I am happy. That is one of the reasons why I have joined the drama club, to make other people happy. I also volunteer at a nursing home with hospice care, and an adoption center at a mall. When I go to college I am eager to make everyone happy and leave a lasting impact, just like my high school years.
I have done great things in high school, and I am eager to do even greater things in college, and when I am a doctor. Even though I am hyperactive, I have social troubles, and I learn differently, I make up for these by being incredibly caring and understanding. I will show the world that just because I am no longer a kid, I will continue to make myself and others happy.
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!
