Brian is a Cork native, living in the heart of the city all his life. He enjoys organisation, terrible jokes, and helping people learn new things. He’s attended University College Cork for the past 6 years, availing of the Disability Support Service there and enjoying campus life, but all things must change, and he looks forward to his career beyond college. Brian is a recent graduate of UCC, holding an honours degree in Environmental Science, and currently works as an office clerk while trying to figure out where best to apply his degree. He has been volunteering with AsIAm since late 2014, delivering workshops, speaking at conferences, and attending events such as HSE strategy reviews and movie launches to further the goal of autism acceptance across all aspects of society. He also takes part in a mentoring program for autistic students at UCC, assisting the DSS. Brian was diagnosed with autism at the age of 22, a revelation after spending his time in school and college being dismissed as either lazy, disinterested, or useless. Armed with the knowledge that he is different to, not less than, the rest of the world, Brian threw himself into AsIAm’s Secondary School Speakers programme upon learning of its existence and uses his training and experience to ensure current and future students need never feel that they are anything less than worthwhile and capable members of their community. So far, it seems to be working!
