There’s nothing better than a good success story. Hearing about people who have worked hard to reach big goals motivates me and reminds me just how resilient people can be. I believe it’s so important to celebrate other people’s successes.
The first time I heard Colwood resident Jeff Gibson’s story, I knew I needed to share it.
“A lot of teachers said I wouldn’t graduate high school,” said Gibson, who was diagnosed as a child with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
“My sister was a straight-A student and I couldn’t compete at that level, but I always told myself that I would find a way to do this. It drove me to graduate. I always wanted to show people I could do it.”
Gibson, 27, recently graduated college and is now working full-time in the career of his choice.
After high school, Gibson worked in grocery stores and started saving his money for college to study early childhood education.
“People were supportive of me going to school, but I still did get people asking me if I was sure I could do it,” Gibson said.
In the spring, he earned his diploma in early childhood education and he is working full-time at a daycare centre.
“The fact that I graduated college and now I have an actual career, despite me having to claw and climb my way here, is a feeling that I can’t quite put into words,” Gibson said.
Now, Gibson is thinking about pursuing a designation to specialize in supporting kids with disabilities.
“There are a lot of levels of disabilities and everyone is all different,” Gibson said. “If you ran into me in the grocery store you wouldn’t know that I had a type of disability.”
Throughout his schooling and in the workplace, Gibson has learned to identify things that are harder for him and he has developed coping skills to help him be successful.
“I learn and understand things differently than others,” said Gibson, explaining when learning about theorists such as Maria Montessori, he would study photos and pick out facial features and then match them to their contributions in the field. “Maria Montessori never smiled and looked kind of old. She also invented having tiny chairs and tables in classrooms for kids.”
In the daycare centre, Gibson keeps lists of all his daily tasks and checks the lists to ensure he’s getting everything done.
“I keep notes and make reminders to help me out,” said Gibson.
We all face challenges in our daily lives and some hurdles are set higher than others. Gibson is a reminder to all of us that we have to identify our challenges and learn to adapt individually so we can find alternative solutions that work for us.
“I used to struggle a lot in school and this has really helped my confidence,” Gibson said. “Growing up I got told a lot that I could try things, but to be prepared that I might not make it.”
“Jeff took this on all on his own,” said Michelle Maffia, a home-share co-ordinator for Sooke Family Resource Society and Gibson’s former support worker. “He took the initiative and really drove himself to succeed. He is really showing everyone what he is capable of.”
Gibson has been able to find the perfect balance of independence and support through his participation with the society. He is a member of the South Island Community Connections program, where he receives individualized one-on-one support for things from daily tasks such as grocery shopping to helping with life choices such as education and career. This program started in 2010 and Gibson was one of the first to join.
He is also a part of the home-share program, where he lives in a suite and is offered supports such as budgeting, meal preparation and life-skills support from a family. The arrangement is a balance of freedom and supports to help him be successful.
“Jeff is accountable, responsible and thriving,” Maffia said. “Jeff is really killing it.”
“It’s definitely been worth it,” Gibson said. “I think that other people with a goal should just go for it.”
Charla Huber works in communications and Indigenous relations for M’akola Group of Societies.
