Young man with autism a valued member of the Tewksbury Police Department
TEWKSBURY - He's a worker you might not notice, tucked inside the Tewksbury Police Department. But Michael Bono's enthusiasm, barely fits inside the place.
"I did my job interview and bam! Here I am," he explained excitedly.
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 The Rock Star Graduates," the Tewksbury native said proudly.
This gig, entering data at the PD, makes Michael 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 said.
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," said Lisa Marie Noke-Kearney from the Autism Higher Education Foundation.
"We have to be there for everybody. 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 more people will do it," said Chief Ryan Columbus.
Proving that true inclusion, ends up benefiting everyone.
"Michael has been a joy to have. There are days 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.
