By C. Wellman
I plan in college is to study neuroscience and psychology. My dream is to become a researcher, specifically in the area of mental disabilities, such as autism. Ever since I was a child, I was fascinated by how an organ can perform such complex feats of ingenuity and thought. My curiosity for
amplified when I discovered I was on the autism spectrum, more specifically, I had Asperger's syndrome. Dealing with my autism has been a battle, but I am very fortunate that life has let me build myself. Throughout my life, I have struggled to perform basic social skills and emotion. Speaking was a difficulty for me, whether it was in front of crowds or just to a person. I also had trouble with eye contact, expression, and speaking with clear points. What helped me was my involvement in the FFA. I am an officer and participate in science fair through the FFA at my high school. In these events, I have to step out of my comfort zone. I am required to speak in front of crowds when being an officer and to persons when presenting my science fair project. Being involved in the FFA has helped me learn key social skills I lacked. What also helped me overcome my challenges was applied behavior analysis therapy. I would be without all my friends, my love, and my memories if I have not done ABA therapy. I want to focus mainly on autism in my career to help people who are similar or have it much worse than me. My dream is to research improved treatments and new knowledge about the disability, helping out the world. Coby W.
(This post is written by one of our 2020 scholarship recipients.)