Young man living with autism becomes valued member of police department in Massachusetts
TEWKSBURY - There's a new employee at the police department in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. He's a young man living with autism. Michael Bono is carving out his own independence while serving his community.
His enthusiasm barely fits inside police headquarters.
"I did my job interview and bam! Here I am," he explained excitedly to WBZ-TV.
Michael lives with autism. But that's only one part of who he is.
"I also take vocal lessons at The Real School of Music because I'm the lead singer of my band called The Rock Star Graduates," the Tewksbury native said proudly.
His job entering data at the police department makes him feel how everyone deserves to at work.
"Everyone treats me with respect, makes me feel important and considers me a valued member of the team," Michael told WBZ.
Autism Higher Education Foundation
The Autism Higher Education Foundation has had a partnership with Massachusetts courts, providing internships for teens and young adults. The goal is to expand those opportunities in the community, but organizers unfortunately hear "no" a lot from local businesses.
"My last sentence of my email was please contact me if you would like to collaborate. A minute later I got an email from the chief and it said 'yes,'" the foundation's Lisa Marie Noke-Kearney told WBZ.
"We have to be there for everybody because we want to help. We want to help members of the community and I think this was easy. It's been a rewarding experience and I hope that when people see this story that more people will do it," said Tewksbury Police Chief Ryan Columbus.
Proving that true inclusion, ends up benefiting everyone.
"Michael has been a joy to have. There are days that I go down there just to talk to him. He brightens my day. He's just a really great person and we're lucky we have him," the police chief added.