TransparencyJillian
Actress
Jillian couldn’t be more excited to start out her future as an actress by getting a part in her first college play. She played the part of Rose in Triangle, a play by Laurie Brooks. Even though she is a person with cerebral palsy, it does not hold her back from pursuing a place in the entertainment industry.
She started attending Cosumnes River College in 2013 and one of her professors, Cary Babka, helped her to overcome her fear of performing in front of a camera. She shared “Cary is one of my favorite and is a pleasure to learn from.”
Jason
Saved for a Dream Vacation!
Jason is 37 years old and lives in the Rosemont area. He enjoys being on the go, socializing, and traveling. Over the past few years, he has been on numerous trips to nearby destinations such as San Francisco, Vegas and Los Angeles.
Last October he decided to step it up a notch and take a vacation to the Philippines with his care provider and another resident. It was the trip of a lifetime!!
Steven
Business Owner
Steven owns and operates Puros Churros, a small business selling delicious churros and tamales. Steven sells at numerous festivals and events throughout Yolo County. He has participated in Davis Pride, the Davis Friendship Festival, the Cartintas Festival and the Earthquake Festival.
Among his many responsibilities, Steven shops for vending supplies, records his finances, markets his business and researches potential events to sell at. Steven’s mom runs the food production side of the business and makes their famous homemade churro dough..
Kailee
Opening Doors to Employment
Kailee is a talented young woman who just happens to be on the spectrum. Her hopes of finding a job are not unlike anyone else’s, except with neuro diverse issues, the traditional path to employment is often sabotaged during the job interview. Despite the fact that many individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are capable of exceptional job performance (dedicated, polite, follow rules, not overly social and are content with repetitive tasks) employers sometimes fail to see the potential and see only the social awkwardness presented.
Michael
Singer
Need a singer for an event you’re holding? Michael may be your man! Michael was diagnosed with autism about the time he was entering school and discovered early on that he could hear music better than words. He didn’t talk much but loved to play musical instruments like the violin, drums, song flute, trumpet, keyboard and piano.
Michael’s family would dance and sing with him and he and his sister, Pagette, would listen to records, then later to tapes and CD’s; he was happiest when there was music playing.
Benjamin
Completes a Triathlon
Benjamin is a young man who has set goals for himself and has worked hard to achieve them. He was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (CP) after a brush with death at birth. Doctors told his mom that he would never talk or walk but he proved them wrong by saying his first words at age four; the following year he took his first steps.
Jon
The AWESOME - Mobile
Scouting has always been a part of Jon’s life. His mom, Kitty, was the leader for his older sister Amanda’s Girl Scout troop so he was always present when the meetings were held at their home. One day when he was young, he decided he’d had enough of the girl stuff and asked, “Mom, can we have a Girl Scout troop, but with ALL BOYS?” He was happy to learn there was such a thing as Boy Scouts!
Jennifer
Active and Hard Working
Jennifer, a 23 year-old regional center client, recently participated in the Project Search internship at Kaiser while a student at Laurel Ruff School. Jennifer interned in the operating room, lab, and intensive care unit. She was given clearance for special access areas of the hospital and was able to watch operations.
Richard
Talented Woodturner
Richard is a 26 year old man that likes things that spin. In fact, his mom Cathy says he’s obsessed with spinning. She and her husband have helped to focus their son’s fascination into a skill that has brought him both success and pleasure; he’s a woodturner. It started as a high school student in Texas when, having little success with the school’s effort to develop meaningful activities for him, his mom came up with the idea to provide him with training in a creative way.
