A post from one of our students!
Before the program I was quite a loner ever since preschool back in Minnesota. I didn’t know I was autistic until I was in middle school. I thought I was placed in the Special Classes because I was way far behind from the other students. Though according to some documents, I found I was diagnosed with autism ever since preschool. The teachers found my behavior matched exactly with an autistic child. For example, I needed my name to be called, about three times, stuff like that. I don’t know if my parents hid that I was autistic, but I don’t ever recall them straight forward telling me “hey Tia, you’re autistic.” Anyways I was pretty dependent on my parents while I was growing up, but my mom made sure I still had my independence where it was needed. In both Minnesota and in Utah I struggled with making friends, no matter how many autistic classes or programs my parents made me join, they never seemed to work. Until I got into the Hub program. When I joined I as usual was pretty shy and only sticking to myself. Until I found out the other clients had the same dark humor like me. I finally started to bond. I don’t know where I would be without my best friends Kobey and Sam. Now don’t get me wrong the mentors here also do an amazing job with helping me with my goals such as job hunting, cooking, adulting, etc but with my friends they’ve helped me get out of my shell which was the most important problem I had. When I leave the program, I hope my friends will miss me dearly and be inspired by my journey. I hope they will always stay determined and keep on enjoying the journey to its fullest, was this program extremely stressful? Yes, absolutely but the journey was worth it through thick and thin without this program I would still likely be stuck back in my old habits. This program also helped me come out feel confident enough to come out to my parents as being bisexual. The thought was lingering, and I did feel like I was ready, but something was holding me back. Luckily, my best friends Kobey and Sam were always there to be on my side and to help me know when I was absolutely ready. Kobey, Sam thank you. You two were truly an inspiration to me
An inspirational quote I’d like to share is
“If you can’t beat the game, if you can’t solve the Puzzle, then you’re just a loser.” -Nate River (AKA Near), Death Note
What stands out to me in that quote is you can’t allow problems to get in your way. You need to do anything you can to solve the puzzle so your life can be as straightened out as soon as possible. But if you are having a hard time trying to solve it, that is ok too! Sometimes it is best to take your time so you can fully understand the situation. The mentors here helped me find which paths were the correct ones to choose for me.
Tia Mathison