This guest post is by Kevin Sharpe, a young man on the autism spectrum who will be attending Oklahoma State University. Kevin 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.
The ideas that keep me focused through my journey with autism are Community Participation, Personal Hobbies, and Leadership development…
My Community Participation:
My passion for Youth Ministry keeps me grounded in my faith and commitment to be Christ-like in serving others. As young people, the world is constantly telling us to engage in activities that might not be beneficial to our health such as vaping, drinking alcohol, sexual activities. However, the message of our youth pastors’ and weekly teen gatherings gives me and others the courage to be strong. For example, my commitment to protect my body by watching the things I do and put inside of it is reinforced by my time with other young people at various events such as Epic Youth, camps. It also allows me to be around faith-committed youth that keeps me strong within the group. The activities that the church provides keep us motivated and inspiring.
My Personal Hobbies:
Dungeons and Dragons, which many call “Fantasy Role-Playing”, is an activity that brings me great joy and mentally challenges my mind. My first experience with Dungeons and Dragons was a Christmas present given to me back in 2018 by my mother. She knew I had a passion as a child for studying dinosaurs, dragons, and mystical beasts. However, my small town back in North Carolina would require a thirty-minute drive into the State capitol to find a group to begin my journey into the world of Dungeons and Dragons. This game of role-playing, character creation, and storytelling are as old as the being of time. I just love using my imagination and showing it to other people to flaunt and show off my creativity. One of the key components to preparing for an upcoming event is to write a character script which is my role within the game. I also have a love of Legos. Following the directions and instructions gave me an avenue to stay focused while I place those small parts together. It is amazing to see how all of those parts fit together to create one.
My Leadership:
The term leadership has a broad meaning for some people and for me, the power to be a leader of my own life has come with various obstacles, stumbling blocks, and setbacks. As a person with autism, you can sometimes have the challenges of misinterpreting social cues or sometimes potentially having the popular students shun you for being a little odd. I have fought hard to be an honor student, participate in mainstream classrooms, and play various instruments alongside some of the most talented young people who the world deems “normal”. I am not the typical poster child of a leader with above-average good looks nor do I have the body of an Olympic athlete. Yet, I continue to get up every day ready to strive for greatness and show the world that you can achieve anything if you refuse to give up. I am an example of the American dream, by taking baby steps, jogging, and about to take off into a sprint as I graduate from high school to continue my education with a college degree that will take me to new heights to reach my destiny.
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.
