Jordan

I've been wanting to start a blog for a long time for lots of reasons. The main one being so I can document my journey through spinal fusion this summer! Hopefully by writing about my personal experience with scoliosis surgery I can help other people who have to go through the same thing. BUT I don't have to worry about that for a couple more months!

As a senior in high school I have been filling out scholarship essay after scholarship essay, and almost all of them are about the same thing: the reason why I am the way I am. Most people are aware that I have a very strong passion for working with people who have disabilities, and have had this passion/gift my whole life. I have devoted my life to being an advocate for people who can't always be advocates for themselves, and more importantly, doing what I love most. What a lot of people are not aware of is why. So, here's my story.

I was a kindergartener at Oakdale Elementary School when I met Jordan Kreus. I gravitated toward him from the moment that I saw him. At the time, I thought that Jordan was just like me. At the young age of five, I had no idea what the word autism was or meant. To me, Jordan was just like everyone else. To this day, I still believe that he is. Jord and I became inseparable. I was with him as much as I possibly could be. When he was mainstreamed into general education classes, I would be sitting right next to him. Every day at recess you could find me standing with him on the blacktop counting the cars that were passing by. He knew my weird quirks and I could read him like a book. We became best friends. From having a relationship with Jordan I was welcomed into the special education room at Oakdale with open arms. I gained friends of all kinds of different abilities while at the same time shaping my future. I knew that one day I would be the one running a special ed. classroom. As the years passed, Jordan and I only become closer. When we went into the middle school, I made sure to be in the special ed. room doing what I loved most whenever I possibly could. Two years later we found ourselves in high school. I became a volunteer aid the first day of freshman year.  I started volunteering at Camp Munroe that same year, and then started working there when I turned 16. Now, I'm almost done with high school and going to UNO to major in special education and get an endorsement in severe autism and profound disabilities. And guess who my best friend still is? Jordan. Throughout13 years, Jordan has never left my side.

Autism does not define Jordan, but Jordan having autism has completely defined my future. Without him, I would not be the person I am today. I have been blessed with SO many amazing opportunities because of being so involved with the special education program. I have met so many amazing people  and am changed and inspired every single day because of the kids that I work with. I am SO blessed to have found the reason I was put on this world at such a young age. I cannot wait to be able to do what I love most for the rest of my life - and it's all thanks to Jordan.