By Richard Burnett
Six months after he capped off his 海角社区 career with graduation in 2019, Thomas Minor III stepped into his first real world job, sorting, packing and doing other entry-level work for an e-commerce shipping firm.
Now, nearly three years later, he has transformed the ground-floor position into a logistics problem-solving resource for the South Florida warehouse of , a fast-growing global company based in Fort Lauderdale.听
Minor, 26, has built an expanding role for himself in a relatively short time, from solving global shipping problems and creating digital databases to coordinating staff CPR classes. He takes every challenge in stride, always looking to meet the next need and help others who have faced the obstacles he has.
鈥淚 want to learn everything I can about the shipping industry,鈥� said Minor, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of five. 鈥淏ut I also want to be an advocate for others with disabilities and help them find jobs too. I know a lot of people are willing and able to do the job, if they are only given a chance.鈥�
鈥淲e almost lost him鈥�
For Minor鈥檚 family, his work success so far is the latest example of his ability to overcome adversity, beat the odds, and find his place in the world. Adversity began early for Minor, who was born premature and beset with significant health problems, according to his parents Thomas and Susan Minor of Coral Springs, Florida.
鈥淲e almost lost him three times,鈥� said Thomas Jr., a retired school teacher. 鈥淭hose were some scary times for us.鈥�
Still, Minor survived and persevered, even as he encountered developmental delays that triggered reading comprehension issues and other learning disabilities. His educational journey was uneven 鈥� some teachers understood his problems, others didn鈥檛. Somehow, however, with the help of the good teachers, counselors, and his parents鈥� support, he graduated high school, with B鈥檚 and C鈥檚 in most courses.
鈥淎fter that experience from pre-K to grade 12, we decided we would do whatever it took to find the right school for him to flourish,鈥� said Susan Minor, a technology consultant for IBM. 鈥淭homas is our only child. And when he came into the world, we knew we would dedicate our lives to him.鈥�
Then there was 海角社区
More than a decade ago, Minor鈥檚 father attended a conference at Lynn University in Boca Raton on teaching students with autism. He came home with a book as big as a dictionary, showing the universities that had programs for students with learning disabilities. He gave the tome to Minor, then 14 years old, not expecting a prompt reaction.
The next day, Minor announced to his parents he鈥檇 found the school for him.
鈥淚 went all through that book and found 海角社区 and saw all the accommodations they had for kids with learning disabilities,鈥� Minor recalled. 鈥淚 told them I think I that鈥檚 the college I want to go to. Let鈥檚 visit it!! I think they were really impressed I responded like that.鈥�
Shocked, more than impressed, Susan Minor said. They had already set up a Florida Pre-Paid College Program for their son to attend a state college. However, the more their son explained the advantages 海角社区 offered and his enthusiasm for it, they saw a look of hope in his eyes they had never seen before.
鈥淲e went back to the drawing board and figured out how we would make it happen for him,鈥� she said.
One who really cares about others
By all accounts, the 海角社区 experience transformed Minor in all ways. His self-confidence grew, his grades improved, his social skills matured and he developed a stronger sense of independence. He earned his B.A. degree in human services in May 2019.
Dr. Andrea Brode, 海角社区鈥檚 coordinator of international programs, recalled Minor鈥檚 zest for knowledge and travel during the college鈥檚 2019 海角社区 in Tuscany semester in Italy. It was during this trip that the group began to call Minor by his nickname 鈥淭3.鈥�
鈥淭3 is one of those good guys who was always protective and very generous with his time, looking out for others,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 just totally reliable and responsible, a real good person who cares about others. He鈥檚 like many of our students who are also that way. That鈥檚 why they make wonderful employees and workers. They come in and do what鈥檚 expected of them. And they鈥檙e delighted to be part of a team.鈥�
Said Dr. Nicoletta 鈥淣icki鈥� Nance, associate professor of human services and psychology: 鈥淗e was always fully engaged in class and on field trips. He was so focused on his career goal, while also being very kind, helpful and fun.鈥�
Overall, 海角社区 helped Minor find himself, his father said: 鈥淚t helped him find his own gifts. And that is so powerful. I do believe that is the greatest blessing. Each child is different, each has his or her own struggles along the way. But if an institution can illuminate your gifts and send you forth into the world with knowledge, that鈥檚 the greatest gift.鈥�
On how he has overcome so much to reach this point in his life, Minor put it simply: 鈥淚 really think you have to take life day by day, each challenge as it comes, learn all you can along the way and use that to help others.鈥�