Inclusive Sports

I have both autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). I’m neurodistinct/neurodiverse, as some people will say. Being neurodistinct isn’t a label to me, however. It is more of being someone who sees the world through a unique and inclusive lens and through my own experiences in life. Like being told I would never graduate high school, go to college, graduate from college with a degree, and even get a job. My college experience from 2006 to 2010 was a part of my journey of proving others wrong while discovering what it means to be included and accepted.

Being a neurodistinct individual, I always tried to blend in with my peers. I attempted to mask my autistic and ADHD tendencies for most of my younger life and well into high school. Gradually, I broke out of my shell in my senior year of high school by self-advocating and being in my high school’s Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) all four years. Once I started attending George Mason University in the fall of 2006, I had to learn to self-advocate and adapt to my new environment all over again.

My freshman year as a regular education student at George Mason was a rough one. Adapting to campus and dorm life was an up-and-down roller coaster. I had issues with expressing myself and befriending classmates and dormmates. I had difficulties all over the place that sometimes resulted in getting disciplined. The one thing I did look forward to was participating in the on-campus Special Olympics program in basketball. It helped me get away from all the stress and feel included and accepted among people like me. It also helped me ease into being a college student.

My sophomore year on campus was better as I expanded my involvement in Special Olympics sports to include soccer and track and field. I did have a few difficulties academically, but Special Olympics helped me through those challenges. Specifically, I was able to come out of my protective shell bit by bit around my peers. I really got excited about George Mason’s Men’s Basketball that year and watched them win the Colonial Athletic Association Conference Title in 2008 on TV. I attended the NCAA Tournament watch party, where they fell to Notre Dame in the opening round. That experience piqued my interest in watching college sports live on campus for my remaining two years. The camaraderie I felt in this new community gave me the confidence to participate in the Delta Alpha Pi Honor Society as a founding member. All the experiences and growth I had that year played key roles in what was to come in my remaining two years on campus.

In both my junior and senior years on campus, I was still actively involved with Special Olympics. Some of the most memorable opportunities included playing in a few halftime games during men’s soccer, men’s basketball and women’s basketball games. I also attended a lot of home games and joined the Patriot Platoon, the student cheering section at basketball games. Among its members, I was genuinely accepted and included. I feel certain this sense of acceptance carried over into my academic success in my last two years. I also served as a member, then secretary, of the Delta Alpha Pi Honor Society. I grew into being my authentic self and made friends who saw me as a person, not a label.

One such friend was my suitemate Jason, who I still keep in contact with to this day. Two other friends, Chelsea and Michelle, who had siblings on the autism spectrum, were supportive, and we formed everlasting friendships. My friend Wendy was equally supportive and positive with me. I had one friend and classmate who told me about a family member who was diagnosed on the autism spectrum. This friend identified me as a positive example to her family about the endless possibilities available to neurodivergent individuals. I also found that I had a similar impact on my academic advisor when her husband and daughter were both diagnosed. I didn’t realize I had created such strong impressions on my peers and the faculty. I also noticed this among my George Mason Special Olympics teammates, coaches, and volunteers. The friendships and relationships I made with them are still important to me today.

Participating in traditional Special Olympics at George Mason also opened opportunities for me post-college. Originally, I had no idea what I wanted to do after graduation. At first, I thought I wanted to be an educator, but I felt graduate school wasn’t for me. I thought of working in the athletics department, but it wasn’t to be. Eventually, my Special Olympics coach told me about a summer internship with Special Olympics North America Unified Champion Schools (then called Project UNIFY) in Washington, D.C. I applied and was offered the internship! A few months after the internship was over, they offered me a job as a coordinator. I work on this team to this very day.

Looking back at where I started at George Mason in 2006 to now, my college experience, specifically in Special Olympics and through sports, played a pivotal role in understanding what it means to be truly and genuinely accepted and included on and off the playing field. We all go through various transformations in our lives. For me, college was a very transformative time, and I’m still going through transformations in my everyday life. We all, in the end, have to embrace the difficulties and choose to transform for the better through those difficulties. Sport is a driver for change and helps me feel included and accepted in challenging times. I’m truly thankful for all the people I have met through each transformation and for their contributions to my continuous growth.