Despite the challenges of her disability, this courageous girl never gave up and aimed for graduation, making me immensely proud. ‍ Graduation

I am no social scientist, but I do worry about this generation for those and other reasons – including that they are coming of age at a time of rising authoritarianism, rampant hatred and ignorance, and a warming planet – but I try to stay hopeful.This year, I actually am feeling an extra charge of optimism seeing two students graduate – one from our high school and another from college – despite being born with autism.

To be clear, my brother had other cognitive challenges beyond his autism, but I cannot help imagining how much better his life would have been if he had been born 20 or 30 or 40 years later.

I try not to dwell on the what-ifs. It’s made easier by having had the privilege of knowing and teaching Zimako Ezechukwu, who graduated high school this month with honors, and Aderix Campos, who earned a political science degree from California State University, Long Beach less than three years after graduating from our high school.