Community Spotlight: Julia Mardini
Youth Ambassador Julia Mardini
In 2020, the American Autism Association launched our Youth Ambassadors Program, an opportunity for high school and college students to serve as leaders in raising understanding and support for autism in their communities. We are delighted to welcome our first class of ambassadors, and we will be spotlighting each student.
Meet Julia!
What made you interested in working with the American Autism Association?
When I found out about the Youth Ambassadors opportunity with the American Autism Association I thought that it would be a wonderful opportunity to participate in an organization that works towards doing good things for the autism community. Also, when I worked as a camp counselor, one of my campers, whom I was able to connect with and became his main caretaker while at camp, had autism. This sparked my interest in learning about and helping people with this disorder.
What do you hope to gain from your experience as a Youth Ambassador?
I hope to gain better leadership and collaboration skills. I also hope to increase my creativity in the way I approach tasks or obstacles. I hope this experience makes me want to not only do more for the autism community but to participate more in fundraisers or community service in the future.
How do you like to spend your free time?
I love to sing and for the past few years I have been singing classical music. I also love to bake. I also have a passion for creative writing.
What is your secret (or not so secret) talent?
As I mentioned, I can sing opera.
What superpower do you want most?
I would want the ability to read people’s minds because I would be able to tell if people were lying or what they truly thought about something. Also, I could become a well-known psychic for having this power.
What is your dream job?
The job that I am working towards is being a psychiatrist; however, my true dream job is to start a non-profit animal sanctuary. This is something that I may do later in my life (when I have enough money to get it started.)
If you are a high school or college student interested in learning more about the program and becoming a Youth Ambassador, please visit this link.