Transcriber: Cooper Bond Reviewer: David DeRuwe
Although my 24 years on this earth have seen many changes,
there has always been a single constant in my life: autism.
I can't remember a time when I was around animals
in some way, shape, or form
without someone taking notice of my gift with them.
It's odd to think about how that works.
There are some people who are good at physics, art, or engineering
who are on the autism spectrum, just to name a few subjects.
These people are usually critically hailed for their particular and unique mindset
that arises from their autism spectrum.
Imagine if you were alive 100 years ago.
Things would be a lot different, wouldn't they?
We wouldn't have the advanced technology as you guys have seen today,
no high tech electronics, and certainly no science.
However, we would also have a completely different opinion
of a certain group of people.
While you guys may be thinking about a subject of race,
I'm actually thinking about a subject of handedness.
That's right, softball!
As recently as 100 years ago, teachers and society thought
that left-handed people were inferior,
so they would be forced to try to fit into a right-handed society.
Teachers would spend hours and hours trying to force left-handed people
to write, cut, and operate with their right hand,
which is something their bodies and minds would have a very difficult time doing.
Today however, we have realized that we were wrong,
and, so much so today, that President Barack Obama,
the current president of the United States, is left-handed.
Similarly, those on the autism spectrum, like me,
are often forced or tried to put into a box that society wants us to fit in
because our behavior is a little strange,
and they want us to fit into a normal, stereotypical society.
Even though autism acceptance is beginning to grow bit by bit,
we still have a very, very long way to go.
I think Dr. Temple Grandin, fellow TED speaker,
scientist, and autistic autism advocate,
put it best when she said,
"People with autism are simply different, not less."
When I was diagnosed with autism at 24 months,
it was a disorder that people really didn't comprehend.
Today, autism rates have actually seemed to increase.
An August 2015 update
for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
said that every 1 in 68 people born in the United States
will be diagnosed and fall somewhere on the autism spectrum.
But there are also adults who are being diagnosed on the autism spectrum as well,
which actually makes sense to them
because as a child, theyremembered being bullied,
having social inadequacies,
and actually having a passion that they would have into adulthood,
often until they achieved one or more doctorates degrees
like some of the faculty here at FSCJ.
Great thinkers such as Albert Einstein, Ludwig van Beethoven, Michelangelo,
Sir Isaac Newton, and even Charles Darwin would be diagnosed as autistic
if they were alive today.
However, there is something that unites us all.
All of these guys and all of you - if once you find your purpose,
you can make it your passion and find your purpose in life.
Autism is becoming more mainstream in the media as well.
There are many hit shows, plays, books, and movies
that revolve around those on the autism spectrum.
Notable characters such as the ones you see behind me,
like Christopher John Francis Boone, Sheldon Cooper, Spock,
and even Sherlock Holmes are either officially declared autistic
by their creators or have been deemed to be on the autism spectrum.
My fan and autism research is alike.
Once again, many of these beloved characters have their own unique passions
which they devote their lives to and find purpose in.
It is not uncommon to see these characters be hailed
for their unique behavior and mindset,
even though their behavior is just a little bit off,
just like mine was as a child and even still is today.
Nevertheless, when people see how passionate you are at something,
they might help you achieve your dream.
My passion revolves around animals.
I've always sought their company over the company of my own species,
who can be notoriously rude, untruthful, and judgmental.
Other than Girl Scouts and 4H,
I never really got along with children my own age.
So much so that one of my first memories of being in school
was of having sticks and stones thrown at me in second grade
because when I was verbally harassed, I simply replied,
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."
I think my mother made the right decision
in pulling me out of school and homeschooling me,
so I could further hone my talents and learn at my own pace.
As a child, I had many opportunities available to me.
Despite the fact that children were absolutely mean to me,
many adults recognized and saw the enthusiasm and talent I had,
even as a young child.
When I was about seven, I started volunteering at a local nature center
and bringing them different marine organisms
and doing presentations on them.
One of the other volunteers at the nature center
was the founder of a marine mammal stranding organization
and when she invited me out to my first whale stranding,
I was completely unaware of just how this single event would change my life.
When a cetacean strands, there is a general protocol
that a majority of the stranding organizations use in the United States.
First, the animal is triaged on the beach it strands on.
It is given immediate care
and assessed to see if it is a candidate for rehabilitation.
If the animal is not a good candidate for rehabilitation,
it is usually euthanized humanely
to put it out of its extreme pain and suffering.
However, if the animal is a good candidate for rehabilitation,
countless amounts of time, effort, and money are spent
to make sure this animal is healthy enough.
And when it's healthy enough,
it gets released back into the wild where it belongs.
At the tender age of nine, I had actually begun to be exposed
to those countless and selfless efforts of veterinarian scientists and volunteers
who devote their lives to making sure that each and every animal that strands
has the best opportunity of life, regardless of the situation.
The first time when I was able to get close to a cetacean
was when I was about nine years old.
A pygmy sperm whale had stranded and was being rehabilitated
in an isolated cove in Key Largo.
Because it was so sick and weak, it actually had to be held up
in order to breathe, so it wouldn't drown.
Even though it was the middle of the night,
I was nine, and I was so excited to hopefully be able to participate
in treating this whale and making sure that it didn't drown.
When it was my turn to go in the water,
I addled up beside the person who was currently holding the whale,
and after a short lecture on what to do,
I put my hand on the animal's pectoral fin
and on its stomach,
to make sure that the animal wouldn't drown as I held it up.
This animal was sleeping, but when we switched caregivers,
it woke up, and there was something
that I can never begin to describe in words that happened.
This whale woke up, and after noticing that we switched caregivers,
it rolled over and looked directly into my eyes with one of its big round eyes.
Words can never be able to describe how I felt in that moment -
having something that is probably smarter than any human will ever be
recognize you for who you are and what you're doing for it.
If you ask any scientist, or person for that matter,
why they do what they do,
they usually can tell you about a single incident
where they absolutely fell in love with the particular field
that they're studying.
This was mine, and I continue to hold onto those feelings,
despite many rough patches in my life.
It wasn't just this single animal that fueled the passion
to my burning fire either.
In the summer of 2003, I was able to spend four months living in a tent,
just south of Marathon Key,
rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing five pilot whales.
During this time, I was able to be mentored
by some of the world's foremost experts in cetacean behavior, training,
and reintroduction into the wild,
as well as veterinarians who I still consider my good friends to this day.
I was beyond fortunate to have these people take me under their wing
and not only lecture me
and show me how to do all these crucial behaviors, training strategies,
and medical procedures that would allow these animals
to be reintroduced into the wild and have a healthy, long prognosis,
but they allowed me to participate in them as well.
Thanks to them, I was already tracking the crucial behavior that was needed
to make sure that these animals had a healthy chance
and a good chance of being released.
Of course, these five animals were not the only animals that I worked with
during the course of the ten years
that I volunteered with these organizations,
and I'm thankful for each and every single animal that I've worked with,
despite whether the animal made it or not.
When a cetacean dies, a necropsy is often performed to see why the animal died,
what it ate, and to find out everything we possibly can about the cetacean.
This is actually where I really found my niche.
I was invited to a few necropsies in that same year,
and after the veterinarians took notice
of how enthusiastic I was about the animal in front of them,
they invited me to come get mentored as well.
Dr. Ewing, who I consider to be one of the most influential people in my life,
was gracious enough to take out the time to teach me about cetacean anatomy
and pathology.
Being able to participate in such a necropsy
and figure out everything we could
about the large, dead animal on the cold, metal slab
was one of the most mentally exhilarating things that I have ever done.
Being able to play Sherlock Holmes in a sick, gruesome way
that most of you would turn your stomach and nose up to
was one of the most amazing ways
to constructively give my brain the exercise that it constantly needed.
Just like "The Traveler" saw a young Wesley Crusher's true potential
in "Star Trek: The Next Generation,"
Dr. Ewing saw my potential to become a great veterinarian,
even as a young child.
The fact that she treated me as a student,
someone who contributed valuable insight, asked thoughtful questions,
and thoroughly performed the tasks given to them,
instead of like a young, meddling child,
really boosted my self-esteem and gave me the hope to follow in her footsteps
to become the future doctor of veterinary medicine,
she had every confidence knowing I could be.
She wasn't the only veterinarian or doctor
who had this sort of confidence in me either.
There were many people who were world-renowned for their specialties
that took the time to take me under their wing
and to let me observe and perform tasks and surgeries
that children my age would normally never have any interest in.
I guess what I'm trying to say
is that if you put your limit on yourself or others,
they often fail to achieve your full potential,
regardless of how strong and passionate they may be.
When I was diagnosed,
my mother was given a list of "can't" instead of "can."
She was told how I would never even be able to graduate high school or love.
However, through my mother's undying devotion, intensive therapies,
brilliant doctors and therapists, amazing mentors and professors,
and, of course, the love and acceptance I got from animals,
I doubt I'd be the person I am today.
Even though I've come across many difficulties and blocks in my path,
I have never given up on my passions
and have finally been able to start to realize my purpose
by applying to the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine this year -
my only choice in veterinary schools,
partly because of how they treat and accept and embrace
the diversity of their veterinary students and applicants.
If I, someone who has autism
and a horrible prognosis from the very beginning,
can ultimately find their passion in life and achieve their purpose,
despite many social, academic, and health difficulties along the way,
you guys can too.
With enough hard work, discipline, and perseverance,
you too can live a purposeful life fueled by the passions of your heart.
Thank you!
(Applause) (Cheers)