Aspie Archaeologist

Mika Woods is a 21 year old living in California with goals of becoming an Archaeologist.  Her hobbies include knitting, reading, watching movies and listening to music.  She desires to draw upon her personal experiences in order to help create unique educational and employment resources for individuals on the autism spectrum.

Hello my name is Mika. I am a woman on the autism spectrum.  I am a 21 year old with hopes of changing what it means to have Asperger’s.  I have goals which include continuing my college education to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology and becoming an Archaeologist.

I have a strong financial need as a direct result of my autism, and experience great difficulties in self-funding my desire for self-improvement through college; however I continue to try and find part time work as I seek out financial resources.  It is my hope that by obtaining a degree and pursuing a successful career in Archaeology, I can provide a positive example for those with disabilities.

As long as I can remember I have always had trouble making friends, carrying on conversations with others, making eye contact and fitting in. I’ve had challenges with focusing on reality and keeping track of things, as well as being a loner and never really feeling like one of the gang.

During my years in school I didn’t focus much on making friends with girls my age, but rather finding a boyfriend. Although later on in high school my social skills did improve, I still never had many friends who were girls. While still in high school I was officially diagnosed with Asperger’s. This helped to change how I personally viewed myself and how I handle life. It was at that point when I began my journey to understanding Asperger’s and to comprehend myself.

Although I have made progress with understanding my Asperger’s,  I still continue to make efforts toward more progress. It is my great hope that by understanding Asperger’s I can help create educational and employment resources to help others like me. I hope that by earning my degree and becoming an archaeologist, I can show others with disabilities that it is possible to graduate from college and have a successful career.

I think the greatest gift one can give to a person with Asperger’s or Autism is time and support.  If more people took the time to truly understand autism and how it affects individuals like myself, then unique resources could be created which would benefit all people on the spectrum.