This guest post is by Zander William Feist, a teen on the autism spectrum who was diagnosed with PDD-NOS and has been accepted into Luzerne County Community College. Zander is applying for the Spring 2022 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.
When I was officially diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, I was four years old. Prior to this however, it was my mother who kept extensive notes on my behavior throughout my daycare years. This was no problem for her as she worked in the school I was attending at the time.
Speaking of parents, Might I start off by saying how both my Mom and Stepfather were absolute champions in helping me break through all my barriers. My mother, being a guidance counselor and a woman with an astounding moral compass, was able to work with me through the dirt and the mud of tackling my problems. My stepdad, however, being a bit more laid back, mellow and an overall cool dude, provided me with life skills and was the one who got me into sports like baseball and college football, TV shows and movies I have never seen and he, like my mother, was and still is an avid supporter of my activities and goals. These two are valuable assets to my success in overcoming hardships. Achieving a sense of normality would have been an impossible feat without these two wonderful people.
I have had plenty of struggles in my short time here on Earth. And unfortunately, I have suffered greatly in my personal life starting from a very young age. Although my disorder was not always to blame, It definitely made dealing with my difficulties even harder. I have quite literally had to fight with myself in order to get to where I am today. And I think that I can say with the utmost certainty that I have conquered all the odds stacked against me.
When talking about my struggles with my conditions, school is a topic that brings up some difficulties that I have experienced. While now I am considered a model student by teachers and an avid member of my school community, this was entirely the opposite in my younger years. My struggles were evident both in my demeanor and grades, and it was clear I lacked skill in both departments. However, as the years progressed, I grew into a more capable student, being able to improve on prior difficulties concerning my attentiveness and therefore becoming a more pragmatic student.
My social life and talents played major roles in shaping the person I am today. This, of course, is not surprising, as many people before me have been molded by their surroundings. Whether this be for good or for bad is entirely based upon personal factors…but, I digress. I would consider my overall social circle to be quite wide and full of light-bearing individuals. The friends I have made along the way have stuck with me through thick and thin. But I am truly grateful for the people that choose to spend their time in my company. As you see, when I was younger, despite being surrounded by loving and supportive people, mentally, I felt alone. I had no one who truly understood me and for that, at a young age I grew to be an outcast among my peers, with some exceptions. Now, that has changed drastically! And I am not complaining one bit.
My talents and interests are quite vast and have definitely contributed to my gradual progression as a person. Although primarily, I am an actor and musician. My musical tastes are vast and range from musical theatre and opera to rock n roll and metal. Music, like for many, was a place where I ¨found¨ myself. As a rising singer, I feel happy to be able to perform the songs that I love or even create songs that express who I am. As an actor, brought up both traditionally and Shakespearian, I could play many roles varied in personality and motivation. As we speak, I am playing the villainous John Jasper in a musical production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood. My other hobbies include exploration, writing, studying law and world history, dance, fashion and skating.
So, what you just read is the story of my struggles and my triumphs.
Follow my journey on Facebook, my Facebook Fan Page, Tiktok, Youtube & 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.
