Spotlight On... 2016 Sibling Scholarship Winner
"One of the best teachers I've ever had is my brother. He happens to have autism. When I was little, this took a while to sink in. My parents would try to explain it to me, but it was very difficult as I was young and naive at the time. But as I grew older, I slowly came to understand that he has a developmental disability and that he is different.
I slowly became aware that my life with my brother was much different than the lives of the other kids at school. There were nights when my family and I had to go to [Aurora] Children's Hospital because his medication was not balanced. There were times when we would all get frustrated because we could not understand what was going on in his mind.
However, I started to realize something else just a few years ago. While others call autism a disability, I call it a different ability. My brother is undoubtedly one of the kindest and sweetest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. When I'm upset, he is the one person who knows right away and rushes to comfort me. I would not be the person I am today if my brother had not been a part of my life. I learned compassion from him. He loves animals, and he has created an environment of love and shown me how to treat pets as well as other people. My brother is different, all right, but it is because he is different that I have learned to be accepting of things that I don't quite understand. And for that, I am forever grateful."
-2016 Sibling Scholarship Winner
Over the years, the Arc of Aurora, through its two annual scholarships, Glen Talladay and Sibling, has supported college and trade school for siblings, and for people with I/DD, we have supported vacations, swimming lessons, and even a class on how to learn to drive. Think an opportunity like these is for you? Read the application guidelines carefully, and if you meet those guidelines, consider applying before the deadline.
- Click here for the Glen Talladay Scholarship application
- Click here for the Sibling Scholarship application
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