Growing up was difficult not knowing what my future would be like but still not understanding why I have special needs. When I was growing up, I was diagnosed with severe autism which means not being social or being able to make friends or read well. As many friends put this to me, “Jack, you're a one-of-a-kind person!” That has stuck with me since then. I have been learning more about why I have autism and what I can do to get through it. My goals through my childhood was to persevere through rough times. To me, all of this makes me a better person and makes me want to give back to the community that I live in.

I found these words of inspiration from Thomas Jefferson: “Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.” As I started to grow up, I began to get bullied by other kids who aren't autistic that just want to make fun of a person who has special needs. I see it a lot now on social media. That does not give them the right to bully others. Today, I write this because I want people to understand what it feels like to be autistic and to feel left out. Because all of us are one-of-a-kind people. But I persevered through all of that and became a better person.

Now I am living life like others. For example, I graduated high school back in 2015 with a Special Diploma which means not taking S.O.L.s and now I own a community company called "Scottsville Area Breaking Weather". I am also a CERT member in my community. Because I am not able to go to college without a GED or drive a car, I enjoy writing articles for Odyssey in my free time. And I still do the weather, of course, and I still love it.