Walk Now For Autism 2009

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Katelyn Sexton (Delta Alpha Pi Xi Chapter President) Response’s to the Broadside:

I believe Jerry did an excellent job answering all of your previous questions, so I'll do my best to answer all of your new ones. Jerry Holy's work with Autism Awareness has been inspiring for me to witness. He is very passionate about many issues and activities (including Delta Alpha Pi, The Patriot Platoon, Special Olympics, supporting student government, etc.) and loves to help in any way he can. He is a very sportive individual when it comes to individuality and diversity, especially when it comes to Autism and various behavioral and/or learning disabilities.

Jerry, one of our officers in Delta Alpha Pi, suggested to myself and the other officers about DAP participating in the Autism Awareness walk in Washington DC next year. I thought it was a great idea and told him that we (DAP) would be excited to take on Autism Awareness as one of our outreach projects next year. As soon as I told him that he went right to work. By the next day he had organized an official team site for the walk, emailed registration information to all of the DAP members, set a fund raising goal for the team, and sent me three proposal design ideas for a DAP Autism Awareness team shirt. Did I mention the walk is in October, so that just gives you an idea of how excited he is that he are already taking so much initiative this far in advance of the event. That just shows how passionate Jerry is about something he truly cares about and Autism Awareness is defiantly one of them.

Jerry Holy's mission for Autism awareness has affected me personally by enlightening me on the issue. I have learned a lot from Jerry about Autism and how people who have Autism can be affected by Autism in various levels. One individual can have Autism and you may never know because it doesn't affect them as much as it may in another individual. Before I met Jerry I thought Autism affected everyone in the same way and thought that it was always a severe case, but that is certainly not the case because Jerry (who has Asperger’s) didn't strike me as someone who was Autistic. It has also affected me personally because last year a family member of mine was married and in so from the marriage I gained a new cousin. It turns out that my cousin also has Asperger’s, and I never knew what that was until Jerry told me that he had it and what it was.

Jerry serves on a Mason diversity board (I can't recall exactly what it is called) as a representative of Delta Alpha Pi. By participating on the board he has represented individuals with learning disabilities/ disabilities/and he is personally representing individuals with Autism. Delta Alpha Pi and Jerry share the same mission, the mission is to educate individuals that people with disabilities are not disabled, because they are fully able, it's just that things may a be a little more difficult to accomplish than it may be for someone else who does not have the same problems. Jerry has greatly educated his community just by being an example. He shows people that he can work and contribute as much to society as anyone else can.

He recently participated in the Special Olympics this past weekend, where Delta Alpha Pi helped volunteer in some of the events. It was Jerry who investigated the subject and contacted the individuals in charge of the Special Olympics to see if Delta Alpha Pi could help at the event. Last weekends event, volunteering at the Special Olympics, was Delta Alpha Pi's outreach event for this spring. It was a great experience for everyone who was involved. I personally had a great time and loved all the work we did, but what i loved the most was working with all the athletes.

Has his passion and willingness to share his story inspires me because he continues to get involved with so many activities and charities and often serves as a representative for disabilities or Autism and he does so with great excitement and happiness. He has definitely impacted the work of Delta Alpha Pi Xi because he has come up with some great outreach events that we have participated in and or will be participating in the near future (Special Olympics and the Walk for Autism next October). He has been a voice for Delta Alpha Pi by acting as our representative on a specific student board addressing diversity expressing the cares and needs for the student body who have disabilities.

Jerry's participation in Delta Alpha Pi has been such a positive experience, he is always looking for ways to help, participate, share the word, and serve others in our community. He loves George Mason and just wants to help make it a better place for everyone including the disabled. I am honored to have him as one of my officers in Delta Alpha Pi. It's having passionate individuals like Jerry that keep an organization like Delta Alpha Pi alive.