When life doesn’t always give you a voice, you have to find a way to be heard. Even if it’s in a way no one is used to seeing.
So for the valedictorian of Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla., she knew she had a message to her fellow classmates. But getting that message out, used a bit of technology and perseverance.
Elizabeth Bonker, despite not speaking since the age of 15 months because of autism, delivered an emotional commencement speech to her fellow graduates, urging them to use their voices and be of service to others. Bonker used a text-to-speech computer program to deliver her speech, and it was unanimously chosen by her fellow valedictorians.
Elizabeth Bonker gives her valedictorian speech. Photo courtesy of Rollins College
As she shared her journey as a non-speaking autistic, Bonker revealed that she had struggled her whole life with not being heard or accepted. At her high school, the principal had told a staff member, “The (derogatory term) can’t be valedictorian.” But despite those obstacles, there she stood, celebrating a big victory with all her fellow graduates.
Bonker not only delivered a moving speech, but she is also a poet and author who wrote a book about her journey as a child with autism, titled “I Am In Here.” Additionally, she founded her own nonprofit organization called Communication 4 ALL, which aims to help non-speakers with autism have access to the communication and education essential to living meaningful lives.
Her message echoed the powerful quote from Fred Rogers, Rollins College’s most famous alumnus, “Life is for service.”
Rogers showed the world that a little kindness goes a long way, and with her message of service, Bonker hopes to do the same. She urged her fellow graduates to find ways to be of service to their families, communities, and the world.
“During my freshman year, I remember hearing a story about our favorite alumnus, Mr. Rogers,” she said. “When he died, a handwritten note was found in his wallet. She said:
You have probably seen it on the plaque by Strong Hall. ‘Life is for service.’ So simple, yet so profound.”
Issuing a reminder to them that whatever their life choices, each and every one of them can live a life of service, she said, “to see the worth in every person we serve.”
Elizabeth Bonker and her mother.
Around one in 44 children has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which describes the range of different ways autism may affect a person’s ability to communicate, learn, and interact with others. According to Bonker’s Communication 4 ALL organization, as many as 31 million people around the world have nonverbal autism, which means autism has impacted their ability to communicate or speak.
‘The r*tard can’t be valedictorian’ — Rollins College class of 2022 valedictorian Elizabeth Bonker, a person with non-speaking autism, just proved her high school principal wrong and gave one hell of a commencement speech pic.twitter.com/gg2NvMpn16
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) May 12, 2022
But Elizabeth is one of the lucky few non-speaking autistics who have been taught to type. This critical intervention unlocked her mind, enabling her to communicate and be educated like her hero, Helen Keller. She is now using what she has learned to help people who face situations like hers.
Bonker’s inspirational speech and her work with Communication 4 ALL remind us that people with disabilities should not be seen solely through a lens of limitation. Her story is a testament to the human spirit and a reminder to us all to use our voices to create a more inclusive and accepting world.
Her message is clear: “God gave you a voice. Use it. And no, the irony of a non-speaking autistic encouraging you to use your voice is not lost on me. Because if you can see the worth in me, then you can see the worth in everyone you meet.”
Sources: Good Morning America | NPR
