This guest post is by Mason Gowell, a young man who attends CT State Community College and has recently been accepted at Western Connecticut 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.
Tenacity. Grit. Perseverance. These are worlds I feel that I embody as a person on the autism spectrum. My name is Mason Gowell. I am 21 years old, and I am on the autism spectrum. I have one brother and one sister who really care about me, and loving parents who always look out for me. The purpose of my essay is to help others see that autism is a gift. I will prove this by sharing how autism has helped me become happy and successful in life.
As I grew up I had trouble communicating with others and paying attention in school. I was unaware of how autism impacted me at first. As I grew, I realized that it was hard for me to make friends and I didn’t think I would ever have any. There was a time when I wished I did not have autism because it made me feel different from others. However, my parents encouraged and supported me in every way possible. This inspired me to try really hard in school and to try to make friends. My grades began to rise and I started to make friends. My interests also began to expand and I became fascinated with acting.
Over the years I have participated in many local plays and musicals. I was an active member of my high school theater department and participated in all of our productions. Acting has developed into my passion! On stage, voice acting, plays and musicals; I love it all! My autism has also helped me to be able to memorize lines in scripts very quickly and get into character immediately. This passion has grown into what I want to pursue as my college degree. I am extremely proud that I am working towards achieving my dream. I have had many mentors, teachers, and family members who encouraged me to be my personal best. I am forever grateful to those who have supported and encouraged me along the way.
Focusing on my strengths, I started to love myself and become proud that I have autism. I realized that I’m happy to be different. It makes me unique and special and I am proud of my kind and charitable heart. I have had challenges where I couldn’t figure out what to do. In the end I have overcome these challenges and learned from them. I use what I have learned to do better in the future. Through all of my experiences, I was never alone. I had many people help me see my strengths and learn to be open to possibilities. I won a theater award in my last high school play for best chorus performer. I have earned roles in local productions and have my own sound both, that I purchased, to develop my voice acting career. I graduated high school and attended community college. I am transferring to Western Connecticut State University in the fall, where I can major in acting and strive to become a working actor!
So you see, autism is not a curse nor is it an obstacle. It’s a unique gift that provides special strengths. There will be challenges in life, but remember there are always people that can help you. Your support system will help you fight through challenges, and teach you how to accomplish tasks, and do well on your own someday. If you ever feel like you are too stressed or that you will never succeed in life, just look back on the advice from your friends and family, and learn from it.
Look for support within the autism community as well. There are people who work in groups with autistic people and help them succeed!
I think autism is a wonderful gift to have and I would never want to part with it. I’m using my autism to help me reach my goals to become an actor. I have been through a lot in my life and have persevered to fulfill my dreams! I urge you to remember to never give up and always find help when you need it. A good mentor to guide you is always a perfect place to start. Thank you so much for reading my essay and I hope it helps you to know that no matter what, autism is a blessing that comes with many gifts.
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!
