This guest post is by Cameron Boyd, an autistic college student who plans to study meteorology and geography at Marshall University. Cameron is applying for the Spring 2026 Making a Difference Autism Scholarship through KFM Making a Difference, the nonprofit founded by Kerry Magro. Kerry was nonspeaking until age 2.5 and was diagnosed with autism at 4.
Autistics on Autism: The Next Chapter shares stories from more than 100 autistic adults about what helped them while growing up and pursuing their dreams. All proceeds support KFM Making a Difference initiatives, including this scholarship program. To invite Kerry to speak at your school, company, or organization, submit an inquiry here.
At the time of applying, Cameron was living overseas with his family and preparing to return to the United States to attend Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.
By Cameron Boyd
Being a student with an autism spectrum disorder has affected me in many ways. I have had autism aides check in on me throughout every school year since kindergarten. Beginning in middle school, I had an aide with me in classes like math, English, and history. These supports helped me succeed in school and earn good grades. As a result of having ASD, I sometimes have trouble understanding certain topics, especially language arts and grammar. I had accommodations like these in both middle and high school, including extra time after due dates to finish assignments and schoolwork. Understanding class material can sometimes be difficult for me.
I am most confident in math and least confident in English. Math is easy for me to understand right away, while English and grammar take more time. In middle and high school, there were times when I thought I knew the material at first, but then I would begin asking questions about the topics being discussed. Asking those questions helped me improve academically.
At Wiesbaden High School in Germany, I took a class called Learning Strategies. During that class, I would see my autism aide for help with anything I was struggling with and for time to complete schoolwork. This helped me succeed in the classroom and keep my grades up. As a college student at the University of Maryland Global Campus, I continued using similar accommodations. I received extra time for assignments when needed and sent an accommodation letter to each professor so they would know how to support my success. Autism has influenced my education for many years.
Autism has also affected my personal life. When family or friends tell me something directly and I do not understand, I ask questions about what they mean. As an autistic young man, I have sometimes struggled to understand what my parents are trying to teach me.
Throughout my academic career, I have made friends, though not as many as others may have. I usually became friends with people I met through sports, clubs, or classes. Autism has not had too much effect on my ability to make friends. I am confident talking with people and building healthy relationships. In class, I work well with my peers and help them when I can.
In high school, I was on my school’s golf team. I went from the practice squad to junior varsity, then varsity, and eventually became a co-captain. I also won the Most Improved Player award on the junior varsity squad. That meant I had improved throughout the golf season and kept getting better after each tournament. It was something I never thought I would achieve.
I was proud of these accomplishments because they made me feel more confident about the sport. My teammates accepted me for who I was, and I knew how much effort I had put into practicing and preparing for each match. I will always remember what I achieved during my high school golf career.
Kerry Magro, a professional speaker and best-selling author who is also autistic, founded KFM Making a Difference in 2011 to help autistic students receive scholarship support for post-secondary education. Help us continue this work by making a tax-deductible donation here.
You can also invite Kerry to speak at your next event by submitting an inquiry here. Kerry speaks with schools, businesses, government agencies, colleges, nonprofits, parent groups, and conferences on autism, employment, college success, mental health, inclusion, and bullying prevention.
