Lansing Man is First Autistic Intern Ever in White House – The Good News
Now THAT is an AMAZING achievement!
Xavier DeGroat is a student at Lansing Community College, the founder and CEO of The Xavier DeGroat Autism Foundation, and now he has another prestigious title to add to his resume - White House intern.
Not just any White House intern - the FIRST intern EVER who is on the autism spectrum.
This is Xavier's junior year at LCC; he's majoring in business administration. He was diagnosed on the autism spectrum at the age of 4.
In his position at the White House, he'll be assisting the First Lady's team with her public appearances, advocating for legislation on law enforcement and how they interact with people on the spectrum, and working with the Press Secretary to help with media coverage.
He credits Rudy Giuliani and his son, Andrew, for helping him get to this point, telling Lansing's independent college newspaper that "It’s an honor to be offered … an internship at the White House. I never predicted (it) would happen.”
DeGroat says that he hopes to transition this into a full-time position at the White House eventually; if not, he says that he'd like to work in an office that helps the economy and works on community projects.
As the parent of an autistic child, this makes me beam with pride. The only people that make a difference are the ones who go out there and get it DONE, and Xavier is a shining example that I can show my 13-year-old son.
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