I was born on July 17, 1988. I’m on the autism spectrum. When I was growing up I went to 6 special needs schools. During high school, I had an internship doing office work, like answering phones, filing papers, entering data in Excel, etc. In 2008, another student and I were the first graduates from the Katherine Thomas School high school in Rockville.
For 5 years I attended Montgomery College in Rockville full-time, and earned a certificate and Associates Degree in Computer Applications Information Technology. I had tutoring almost every day from a private support group. During college and for a year afterwards, I worked part time as an office assistant filing papers, scanning, labeling envelopes, doing inventory and data entry. Since 2010, I have rented an apartment in Rockville next to the Montgomery College Campus, near the same private support group, which helped me with independent living skills. I still attend the same group for social activities.
I had my learners permit for 2 years and practiced with my parents for 500 hours. Then I got my license. I drive myself to work and the grocery store, and sometimes shop online.
From 2014-2015 I had an internship at NIH (National Institutes of Health in Bethesda) for young adults with special needs. Now I have a full time job at NIH. The part of it I work at is CIT, Center for Information Technology. I fax sheets with signatures, enter data in Excel, deliver supplies, and make copies and deliver them. Occasionally I have used Visio for information. I also did an inventory of things in a storage room and organized the storage room, including labeling what’s in boxes. I deliver mail. I have cleaned phones, and wrapped them in plastic. I have also set phones up. A job coach helps me for 4 hours each week.
Main Street will help me live independently with friends and help nearby.
