Member Spotlight: Jeremiah
What's your story? Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Jeremiah shares that he was diagnosed at about the age of three with autism from the Waisman Center in Madison, WI. He was non-verbal and low-functioning at the time. However, with the strong will power of himself, his parents, therapists, and educators, He was able to become higher functioning on the autism spectrum. “Please note that this process did not happen overnight. I went from school to school as often my needs were not being met to its fullest. Perhaps having gone through so many schools as an adolescent, learning became my passion,” he explains. He graduated from Nicolet High School in 2009. He then graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 2013 with Bachelor degrees in General Management and Political Science. After that, he earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 2019. Since the government system put a lot of time and investment through itself into him, he wanted to give back to the community that has helped him. He has worked for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Milwaukee, WI over seven years. He explains that he first started out as a Claims Assistant in 2015. In 2017, he moved into Finance where he primarily did payroll. In late 2021, he moved further into Finance when he helped to process debt waivers and make decision determinations for our nation's veterans. Most recently, he became a Program Support Specialist for Human Resources. “If I learned anything, it's that time passed by too quickly,” he says.
What does Self-Determination mean to you? Why is it important?
Jeremiah’s definition of Self-Determination is “if you want something in life, go get what you want.” He explains that the best advocate is yourself. No one will have 100% of your best interests in mind except for yourself. For example, for many years he did not drive even though he had my driver's license. Part of it was the stress of having to worry about other people, while the other issue was personal finances. However, on many occasions, he wanted to go somewhere, but couldn't because he didn't have someone to drive him. If his parents could drive him, he tells us that he didn't want them to also be at his friend's party. “I wanted to become more independent. Being independent means more freedom to me where I do not have to wait for the city bus or for an uber,” he says. One day, he had enough, and decided to drive himself. He shares that he first started doing short haul trips and drove just around the suburbs where he lives nearby. Eventually, through baby steps, he started driving himself further and the rest was history. He explains that he wanted to do something in honor for two of his coworkers that passed away. “They always believed in me that I could drive myself, so I wanted part of their legacies to live on,” he says.
Tell us some good news - what's the most exciting thing happening for you (or in Wisconsin) in terms of self-determination?
Some recent good news for Jeremiah Is that he was able to become part of Human Resources by becoming a Program Support Specialist.
The other piece of good news for him is when he was able to get a partial refund from his Medicare insurance that he used to have. He shares that he’s still waiting for the rest of the money. He says that it has only been over six months, so he then contacted his legislative representatives to put in a congressional interest for him. “Perhaps that will help to speed up the process,” he tells us.
It makes him more self-determined when he’s finally able to get some of the things that he has been waiting for.
What tip or resource would you like to share with people who want to be more self-determined?
Jeremiah’s tip to become more self-determined is “if there is a will there is a way.” He explains that, in life, there will always be mountains and maybe the traditional way is to climb that hard terrain, but with some of our physical and or mental/emotional limitations, climbing might not be feasible under certain disabilities. However, we have many other abilities and hidden talents where it is often overlooked by other people in society. Who said we can't climb to the top of the mountain by digging underneath it, going around it, or taking a helicopter to get to the top of it. In the United States, our primary mode of transportation is by car, but when there are rivers or other deterrents the human race is known to improvise.
He gives this example: for instance, to get from one side of the river to the other in a major city, they often provide water taxi where you can travel by boat. When there is a problem that the majority of people have, society fixes it. But if it's an issue for just a 'small' number of people, it becomes too bad and so sad. But what if both sides can coexist together? There was a video that discussed how we use texting on cell phones and pizza cutters (along with other resources) where it was first created for people with disabilities. If we focused on accommodating the minority of people, it could very well end up accommodating the majority of people in the long run. This would make many more people happy. When we design for disability, we all benefit | Elise Roy - YouTube
What are some of your hobbies?
Jeremiah has many hobbies. He likes to surf the internet (“though I don't seem to be catching any waves,” he jokes) and have conversations with friends on Facebook. He also enjoys listening to Youtube music. He shares that music keeps him calm or relaxed, and it helps to boost my level of happiness. When he is away from the computer, he enjoys watching a good tv show or movie. Mystery films or good comedies tend to be some of his favorites. He loves spending time and napping with my dogs. “A dog will always love you unconditionally and during this cold winter they are perfect bed warmers. They are my fur babies forever,” he says. Another hobby that has recently picked is looking for 'money' during his free time. Perhaps it's a store parking lot or in a movie theater auditorium. “Those dimes and nickels add up. I have often used this pocket change money to help fill up my car's gas tank or put towards other essential items like groceries,” he exclaims.
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