Courtesy photos.
CAMARILLO — Los Angeles actor/singer George Steeves auditioned for ABC’s “American Idol” six times. Time after time, he didn’t make the cut, but he kept coming back.
“This industry can be very heartbreaking,” Steeves, 29, said. “But that’s something about Asperger’s (syndrome). We want, we want what we want. It’s a blessing and a curse.”
Steeves, who was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at age 11, will speak about the many faces of autism and how it has affected his life at CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI)’s 7th Annual “Light It Up Blue” 2018 Global Autism Awareness Event.
The public is invited to the presentation and community resource fair from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, April 2 in front of the John Spoor Broome Library. April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day when iconic landmarks, skyscrapers, schools, businesses and homes around the world shine blue lights.
“Light It Up Blue” is an international campaign adopted by the United Nations on 2007 to shine a bright light on autism as a growing global health priority.
A community resource fair from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Broome Library Plaza will kick off the event with at least 22 vendors present. At 7 p.m. Steeves and other speakers, two from CSUCI, will take the podium, each with a story about their experiences being on the autism spectrum.
Steeves will talk about his award-winning one-man show: “Magic 8 Ball: My Life with Asperger’s.”
“What I really want people on the spectrum to understand is that you don’t have to confine to the social norms,” he said. “You can find your own way. That’s what I did with my one-man show.”
The event will close with a ceremony in which audience members hold up blue tea lights against a campus lit in blue.
“We are taking the light out into the community,” said “Light It Up Blue” event chair Laura Czajkowski, Transition & Retention Counselor for Disability Accommodations & Support Services. “When the supporters leave with the light, what they take with them represents shining a light on autism awareness, and being an advocate.”
CSUCI Communication major Cody Yoa, 24, who has a minor in Computer Science with an emphasis in game design, has mild Aspergers syndrome. After he graduates in 2020, he would like to become a 3-D animator in the motion picture industry.
Because individuals on the autism spectrum are generally challenged when it comes to social communication, Cody said people might find it odd that Communication is his major.
“When I was at my community college, I wound up taking a public speaking class and found out I have a passion for it,” Yoa said. “I’m hoping to use my Communication degree to become an advocate for autism.”
Also speaking will be Dorian Beaver, 34, who will graduate in 2019 with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Global Studies. Part of her goal is to challenge stereotypes about autism.
“Some people have a stereotype of boys banging their head against the wall,” Beaver said. “I skipped an entire semester of high school. I feel like I’m like everybody else. I’ve dated, I have a group of friends…I want young parents with a child on the spectrum to know it’s going to be O.K. We have support.”
To help support those on the autism spectrum, Czajkowski, and Assistant Professor of Education, Michelle Dean, created an on-campus group for students with autism called “Blue Minds.”
“I think it’s important to bring awareness and speak about how we are supporting students on campus with disabilities,” Czajkowski said. “Our campus is becoming well-known for supporting students with autism.”
The bottom line, Steeves said, is for everyone to remember that people on the spectrum are just that: people.
“Take the time to get to know us and don’t put us into a corner,” he said. “We are people just like you.”
About California State University Channel Islands: CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CSUCI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CSUCI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more by visiting CSUCI’s Social Media.