This guest essay is by Abigail Gonzalez.
Hello, my name is Abigail Gonzalez. I am a Hispanic woman with Autism. I am writing this essay in order for a chance at a scholarship in order to fulfill my dreams of being a college graduate, and achieve my goal of walking across the stage and being able to hold a college diploma as a hispanic women whos had to work a lot harder to get the place l am currently. And I am willing to work even harder to achieve my dreams and goals. To not only better myself, but also help my family and bring honor to them as well. I wish to make my family proud and also prove to myself and other little hispanic girls that you can too achieve your dreams if you truly set your mind to it. That even if you have life long disabilities or struggles, it does not mean you are lesser than your peers. You can do it, you can achieve all that you aspire and want to be and happiness will follow suit.
For the past two and a half years, I've been participating in Project Unify, which is an organization that aids the mentally and physically handicapped students. We help them develop social skills, motor skills, and help build their life skills so when they graduate they can achieve their goals. We attend several events and field trips with other schools that participate in this program, where the kids can interact with fellow students like them. And at the end of the year we attend the Special Olympics with them. Which is an event that all the schools that have Project Unify attend where the kids can win awards and participate in several special events. I've contributed to this organization by being in a leadership position often helping with events and directing fellow members to help aid the kids for Project Unify l have easily spent over 20 hours in the club helping both are members and our kids alike, building friendships and life lasting bonds. In addition I've participated in many art events and helped participate and set up many Art Showcases, where art students can display their artworks to both parents and staff. I've been in many art classes over the last four years attending East Gaston High School, and l wish for my artistic mind to grow further when I reach college. I believe art can help communicate feelings and words we cannot yet grasp. When l was young and diagnosed with Autism l had been nonverbal for several years, and art became my voice and as l slowly developed my language skills, l believed art played a significant role in my development of my speech. And l think if art can help me develop my speech, it can help others develop other feelings and emotions they have buried deep inside them. Art can help communicate the deep human emotions and process things we have yet too. And l wish to inspire others to turn towards the arts and help the youth understand and appreciate the arts.
This essay was submitted to the KFM Making a Difference scholarship program, founded by Dr. Kerry Magro to support autistic students pursuing postsecondary education. Publication does not announce a scholarship award.
