Sarish

Sarish demonstrates resilience in the face of adversity, even when those closet to her didn’t accept her for who she is. For 34 years, Sarish lived with her family and grew up in a strict household that controlled her every thought and decision, even her diet. As a person with autism, her parents did not provide her with any autonomy over her decisions and life choices because they would treat her as a young child, even as an adult.

However, Sarish always felt something was off about the way her family treated her. As an adult, she took more of an active approach to the services and supports she receives from Alta California Regional Center (ACRC). Based on the positive, supportive, and welcoming interactions she had with staff at ACRC and from programs outside of her home, Sarish then realized that she was facing abuse in her home.

In addition to these interactions, Sarish also experienced a mental breakdown due to the toxic home environment, and it resulted in her being admitted to a mental health facility. After a month of being in the facility, Sarish went back home, only to find that nothing was going to change, and that she had enough outside experiences with people who cared about her to know it was time to leave.

At the age of 34, Sarish decided to leave her parents to get control back and to live her life as she truly wanted to be. After being free from a restrictive environment, Sarish could finally accept that she is a transwoman, something she felt all her life but was told by her parents that it was “evil.”. Although Sarish accepted her identity, she still struggles to embrace it due to the negative circumstances she faced most of her life. But little by little, the control and worldview of her family began to collapse.

Now, at 38 years old, Sarish is in the process of transitioning and has made tremendous strides in her independence and goals. She has worked at the North Sacramento Haggen Wood Library for about three years. Her job is one of her favorite parts of her life because she can help people and bring the community together. Sarish remarked that in her geographic area, there is a larger population of people experiencing homelessness. But the library welcomes them in, and Sarish is always happy to chat with them and encourage them because she knows what is like to be treated as less than a person or not have autonomy.

Her goal to bring community together doesn’t stop at her charismatic personality. Sarish is in the process of writing a Dungeons and Dragons campaign, and once completed, she will work with the library to add it to their programming so the community can participate in the campaign as a fun way to bring people together. She even plans to expand it to virtual options to extend its reach.

In addition to her work life and creative goals, Sarish loves sports and participated in Special Olympic games in prior years. Although she enjoys tennis, track, soccer, bowling, and more, golf is her favorite sport. She proclaimed that golf is a full body workout and excellent way to prioritize one’s health.

As a person with a disability, Sarish is no stranger to being told she “can’t” do something. She knows that many people with disabilities face this same challenge where they are told they aren’t capable, shouldn’t have control, and should just give up. But Sarish wants people with disabilities to know that they can do whatever they set their heart to, and that they can have control over their lives. Sarish hopes to inspire others and be a source of light even when times feel dark.