In this blog post, I relate your joy to mine during my 10 year anniversary from SUNY Ulster!!! Stay strong, stay smart and, as always…..
Shine On!!)
Today, dear readers, marks a day filled with questions and hopes for me, because tomorrow marks my 10 year College Graduation from a great school, SUNY Ulster. It was a day that I hold near and dear in my heart.
But perhaps, I’m getting ahead of myself.
When I first came to SUNY Ulster, the experience was a friendly one, if a bit lonely for someone on the Spectrum. Changes were commonplace in a setting where routine was best, friends came and went, but there were no real people I could connect with. At the time, I really didn’t know what my plans were, I had my dream to become a writer, a well known poet, an inspiration to fellow Spectrumites, but I honestly had no set plan for me other than those.
That all changed when my late friend and mentor Larry entered my life, I felt like my poetry could improve with his guidance and he understood my concerns, having two sons on the Spectrum himself. He was well known as well, not just in the library community but also in the arts community. He made the arts feel more alive, like I could see arts from various parts of the world, hear accomplished writers, learn about the music of the works, all within SUNY Ulster’s Campus. To say he was a game changer would be an understatement, he made me feel like my aspirations weren’t just a dream.
He also was friends with another departed teacher, one who made Philosophy and Logic fun and relatable at the same time. The late Tom Davis was a teacher that was always optimistic, funny, topical but insightful in his own way, he always made learning humorous and as such, he was beloved by both students and teachers alike.
It was why Larry’s death in 2006 due to ALS (as well as Tom Davis’ passing a year later) hit me so hard. I felt they left me their legacy, one I wanted to share with those in my community in my own way. When he passed away, the Library where he worked adopted me into their family and it’s something I never want to lose or take for granted.
My Graduation is something that I’m very proud of; the memories of that day still keeping me going after 10 years, the ceremony, the party (and the encouragement of seeing my Library Family taking the time to support me in this new chapter in my life definitely helped, as it still does now.)
That said, my Graduation gave me questions that made me wonder if it was all worth it? I’m sure this happens to everyone who graduates College or anywhere for that matter: it’s the Super Bowl Question: You’ve graduates from college, what are you going to do next?
Upon reflection of these past 10 years, I can say that I’m happy for the choices I made, I’m happy of the person I became because of Larry (God Rest His Soul) because his example drives me to do better; to be a better person. My college experience and the things I learned gave me a different perspective, a deeper knowledge which I try to pass on to my fellow friends in the Agency. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a balance, but it does help to bridge what can be done and what does get done, a stark contrast from what opportunities people with disabilities had fifty to sixty years ago, where degrees were only a dream.
The bridges I’ve built to help others like me, the evolution I’ve made in these 10 years were worth it, sacrifices I’ve made, the harsh lessons I’ve learned were all worth the payoff that I share with others. I know that by doing so, I can help others achieve what they want to and let their dreams…
Shine On!!
The Autistic SuperBlog 