From shy student to leadership roles.

My name is William Bedford, and I am a custodian for Chicago Public Schools.

After school, I was looking for a job. They've been calling me for interviews, and they didn't hire me. It felt like, I'm never gonna find a job.

People expect autism to look a certain way. I remember when Dr. Melandas came in to give me this diagnosis, it was, here are all the things that he probably will not do. He probably won't speak. He probably won't interact with people or like touch, and William surprises people a lot.

When I first met William, he made sure to tell me that he would be a hard worker, and that he wouldn't let me down. I had no idea. He helped him get a job at Miller's Ale House at Chicago Ridge Mall. The day of his interview, I immediately saw William just sort of freeze up. I said, well, how about William shows you that he can do the job? Those ladies over there are about to leave. He cleaned the table. He reset it. He took the towel back. He came back. He said, all done. And she said, you're hired.

Initially, he was just doing his duties. He wouldn't do a lot of chit-chat or socialization. And then he just started to open up and talk to employees. He talked to the customers.

His progression from when he started and just giving him the basic what we need you to do and how he developed it and changed it to when he left me, it was amazing.

So we got a job lead about, an earmarked job lead that was janitorial in the school system. I sent it to him. I later found out through a colleague that he actually went to the job fair. He told her, like, I got it. I think I'm okay. He was like, and I need to do this on my own, not as a part of a program. So he did it. And that's the job he works now. Now he's driving.

He's been with us now a little over a year, and I can truly say he is an exemplary employee because he puts in more than 100 % in whatever he does.

Bridges was that support that William needed for him to be seen. Having a job and being able to live in community is important to all of us.

I could see William become a different person just through the program. How his self-esteem skyrocketed. How he feels equal.

Bridges makes me grow.

Sometimes it's hard, but I can do it. The hard work.