My YLF experience - Part 1

Fast looming adulthood makes me very anxious. To be plainly blunt, it terrifies me. Half of my brain says," Omg, panic!", the other half says, "Yes! Let's do this!"

Amid a pandemic, an opportunity arose to apply for YLF - Youth Leadership Forum for Students with Disabilities. My aunt had shared an email about this leadership opportunity for me to consider. My first reaction was - there's no way I'm applying. Then, as isolation continued, I got desperate. First, I had to apply. My word, I had to answer all these questions and get a letter of recommendation. This was stressful. Thankfully, my teacher agreed to write a letter on my behalf. My friend Tyler kindly supported me in filling out the application. In the end, I was accepted into the program along with my friend Otto. As the date approached, my anxiety grew. I get anxious because I can't speak and rely on mam to hold my keyboard to type. Most people are open minded to accepting my autism and how I best communicate, but every now and then I see that look. You know that look of prejudice. It is probably the rudest, most unkind look on earth.

To be continued...