My name is Jordan W. and I am on the spectrum. Summer after graduating high
school I learned about North Star Education Services and attended their summer program. In
their summer program, I got to practice working a job with the support I needed. After that, I
attended their prep program. The prep programs purpose is to help those with mental disabilities
to cope and succeed with the transition from high school to the real world. Once I completed the
prep program, North Star thought I did so well in it that they hired me for a short time as a
mentor for incoming participants of the prep program. As a mentor, I helped those dealing with
the same roadblocks as I did and gained some skills that I had not fully grasped myself. This is
just a brief history of my time at North Star Education Services, now let’s get into why it worked
for me and why I think it is helpful for anyone who goes to them.
What I love about North Star is that the staff are like family. They care about you and
your success. They do their best to help you learn the way that is best for you. They go above
and beyond the call of duty. Most importantly though, they treat you like a person and if you’re
on the spectrum you know what it’s like to not be treated with the understanding you need. You
know the frustration of not being able to communicate correctly to others and being treated
like you’re a psychopath. So that is why I appreciate what North Star has done for me and many
others.

Just to show you how well their programs worked for me, let me tell you where I was
before them and where I am now. Before I was severely depressed and I wanted nothing to with
the outside world. I was an introvert to the point where I was completely crippled by it. Today I
have my Associates degree in Accounting and am working towards my Bachelors in Accounting.
I am president of my Colleges Student Senate, I am a tutor for my college, and am a student
ambassador. All of these achievements I’ve made and jobs I do require me to work and
communicate with people which are the hardest things to do when you’re on the spectrum. Thank
you for reading and if you have a child with a mental disability or know or are a young adult
with a mental disability I highly recommend checking out North Star Education Services.