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This guest post is by Monique Williams, a young woman on the autism spectrum who was accepted into University of Washington. Monique is applying for the Spring 2021 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.
I hope you can support my nonprofit like I’m trying to support these students with scholarship aid for college. Learn more on how you can help our cause with a small donation (just asking for $3 today, equal to your daily cup of coffee) here.
I know I won’t always fit in but I want to make a positive difference. I think everyone should be treated equally. Due to extensive trauma I faced as a child being on the autism spectrum has not been my biggest challenge. I have had to adapt and lean to cope with many events in my life.
I feel that it is important to speak my truth and recognize that others also can speak their truth. Everyone has a different perception and truth of what diversity means and everyone has a different experience with diversity no matter your race or ethnicity. Here is my experience and why it is so impactful to my life and who I am today. Diversity has always been a huge part of my life whether I knew it or not. I grew up in a home that was a blended multicultural family. I have three siblings and each one of us has struggled with a disability that has come with many challenges but with those challenges have come strength. Mine is autism and I often see things differently and struggle socially but growing up it was what I knew.
I was taught to treat people kindly no matter their walk of life, empower others when you have the opportunity and always love you for you. Often none of my friends looked anything like me and neither did any of my teachers or coaches. I always felt like something was missing and struggled with trying to be like everyone else.I have learned through my own experiences the importance of being treated fairly and not treated based on others perceptions. I use that in my daily life and strive to treat everyone fair and provide those with a positive experience.
I want to teach other people that they can feel accepted for who they are but most importantly that it starts within. I want to make a positive impact on those around me. This is where goodwill comes in for me. I feel like it’s something I strive for especially with the social challenges autism brings. With my experiences and personality I think my future can be beneficial to those I encounter at school, in my personal life and someday in my professional life.
One of my interests is studying others behaviors, cultures and backgrounds. I plan to major in psychology and or Criminal Justice, So I can have the opportunity to learn how people’s behaviors are different depending on the environment they’re in and why they act differently around different groups of people.
I would also learn the socio-cultural differences in the people around me and why they behave the way they do. Right now I want to be a criminal psychologist and I look forward to learning about why people back the choices they do and trauma to those around them. I want to be able to be an advocate for those that need support.
Follow my journey on Facebook, my Facebook Fan Page, & Instagram!
My name is Kerry Magro, a professional speaker and best-selling author who is also on the autism spectrum that started the nonprofit KFM Making a Difference in 2011 to help students with autism receive scholarship aid to pursue a post-secondary education. Help support me so I can continue to help students with autism go to college by making a tax-deductible donation to our nonprofit here.
