WRITTEN BY WILL BARRETT
So I did something on November 5th that was new to my speaking career: I spoke to two different groups of college students at Georgia Southern University. This was the first time my audience only consisted of people my age and students like myself. I was able to interact with them and relate to them on a personal level. We had many of the same interests, and were able to talk about current trends happening in our demographic. They presented new questions for me to answer, and I learned a lot from them. I’m confident the feeling was mutual.
I have enjoyed and appreciated the company of my previous audiences as well because being exposed to a more diverse audience is a good growth experience for me. The conversations with older adults all have taught me something that can help prepare me for life. Also, I learn what interests, and sometimes mystifies them about autism. Thank God my mom continues to push me out of my comfort zone. One should never stop learning.
Georgia Southern (GSU) in Statesboro, GA is about 4 hours away from our hometown in Gainesville. My first speech was that morning at 9:00, and I was speaking to a classroom for rehabilitation therapy. The second speech was at 5:00, and it was for an organization called STRA (also students of rehabilitation therapy). The students and the members of STRA have chosen this field of study because they believe in the strength and determination of others. They are devoting their lives to helping and encouraing others to achieve goals and to succeed. I admire their compassion and kindness. It was an inspiring experience for me, and again, I’m confident the feeling was mutual.
I want to thank Haley for inviting me, and the students for their interest. I also want to thank some awesome friends for showing up to support me. Jackson, it was great to see you. And Drew, your enthusiasm and friendship are unending, and I appreciate you making that trip. You are one of a kind.
I am writing this over Thanksgiving break, and publishing it a day after. While this is coming a day late, I would still like to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving, and don’t forget to check out and subscribe to our YouTube channel! I recently learned that aside from Google, YouTube is the largest and most commonly used search engine in the world. With all of the attention going to YouTube, why wouldn’t I get involved in that? So be on the lookout for new videos coming to my channel. It is also called AUSOMETISTIC. I would greatly appreciate your support by subscribing to our YouTube Channel.
