This guest post is by Kieran Baack, a young man on the autism spectrum who aspires to attend Mclennan Community College. Kieran is applying 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.
Judy Garland once said, “Always be a first-rate version of yourself, and not a second-rate version of someone else.” I believe this quote is relevant to people on the autism spectrum, including me and so many others. Throughout my life, I have dealt with a lot of challenges to overcome, but probably the greatest challenge would be having to try and adjust with me figuring out that I was actually on the spectrum. However, over the course of a couple of years, I’ve learned to come true with myself and really embrace who I was. Now, I am here about to graduate high school, and I have made a lot of friends who love me for who I am, don’t mind my diagnosis, and have always loved getting to know me. Have you ever wondered what it would’ve been like if you ever came out and announced you were on the spectrum after keeping it a secret for years? That’s what happened to me. I kept my diagnosis a secret from outside my household for a long time, and almost no one came to accept me—until I decided to come up and reveal that I had autism in high school. Now, everyone knows who I am and loves my story.
It all started when I was nine years old. My parents took me to a psychology building for Baylor University as they were trying to find out if I was on the spectrum. After a couple of days of appointments and research, they determined that I had Autism Spectrum Disorder. I was initially surprised, but over the next few days came to terms with it and accepted that I was on the spectrum. Over time, people at school started to question why I was acting funny all the time, and some would even consider me a bit annoying at times. This continued over the next several years from fourth grade and throughout middle school. As I was entering high school, my parents asked me if I wanted to move to a different school that would fit what I wanted, but I declined and stayed at the school I had always been at. I thought that maybe there would be a way for me to get by and not worry too much about what others thought of me and just focus on school.
I officially entered high school in 2021 and had the idea of running for Student Council because I wanted to try and make a difference in how our school would operate and help manage events. While working on my speech for a representative, my dad came up with the idea of bringing up the fact that I had autism so that people could see that I see things differently and consider voting for me. At first, I was hesitant because I thought people would think differently of me, but I decided to do it and see what happens. The day of my speech arrived, and I delivered it, and to my surprise, everyone loved what I had to say, and they were proud of me for coming out and sharing that I had autism. A few days later, I went to the election results, and I won and got to be on Student Council for the first time in my life. It was from that day on that I realized not to let fear stop you from coming out and being yourself in society.
Overall, throughout my life I’ve learned that you should really embrace who you are and not be afraid to go into society regardless of what you possess or believe. While my life has had a lot of obstacles due to who I am, it has also paved the path for me to gain new opportunities and experiences that I will forever be grateful for. Those opportunities have allowed me to get AB Honor Roll two years, be a member of Student Council for all four years of high school, go to state for FBLA two years in a row, and be a part of the National Honor Society chapter for my school. But most importantly, get the opportunity to walk the stage alongside some of my best friends and graduate from high school. While I still have so many things to work through, like completing college and getting a degree, I will always remember to love myself. If I were to give advice to others on the spectrum, it would be to not let others distract me from the fact that I am a person that is a part of the autism community and can accomplish my goals in life.
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!
