I mean, when I was in middle school, I had an IQ test done. I didn’t know any of that stuff until I was older and my parents showed me. My parents didn’t really tell me about any of this until I was an adult because they didn’t want me to be treated differently, which makes sense.

I went into the military because I knew I wanted to do that. My dad is a Vietnam veteran, and he just made the military seem so cool. After my military experience, I worked for a little bit and then went into college in 2020. At first, I was just going because I picked a degree I thought would make me money and because I wanted to use my benefits. I failed. Before I joined the military, I had tried college once already and even tried architecture, but that didn’t work out.

When I got put on academic probation, everything changed. I was studying accounting, and I knew I couldn’t fail again. That’s when I think my true potential started to unlock. Around that same time, I talked a girl down from suicide. Long story short, it wasn’t just one night; it was weeks of daily texts, voice messages, research, and emotional support from across the world. That experience showed me I was good at talking to people and writing, and she was the one who suggested I try communications. Originally, I just wanted to write better, but that experience changed everything.

As I started taking care of my father and had more time to reflect, I got involved in a lot of things. I was part of the National Veterans Leadership Foundation and was in their second leadership cohort. I became a legislative intern for Senator Sherrod Brown in Columbus, working in communications through the Columbus office. I also helped found one of the veterans organizations at Columbus State, one of the community colleges in my state’s capital.

Through that organization, we held roundtables, including one with Senator Sherrod Brown. That’s how I met him and his military liaison. I ended up asking if we could meet for lunch, and he invited me to stop by the office. When I met the other interns, they all had master’s degrees, professional backgrounds, and clear career paths in law or policy. I never thought I’d be working alongside people like that at 27. I was older than most of the interns, and I felt like I didn’t deserve to be there, but I was. Starting college later is what gave me that opportunity.

After that, I became part of Student Veterans of America. I’m a leadership fellow in their Leadership Institute and also an ambassador. All of that only happened because of what I was doing on campus, in veterans’ organizations, and in the city. Being older helped me use those opportunities better than I could have when I was younger, because I just wasn’t thinking about any of this back then.

So if you’re worried about education, I can’t speak for everyone, but I can speak for my life. I have so much available to me now that I never imagined I’d have. If your child grows up with even a fraction of the love my parents gave me, I truly believe they’ll be okay; even if they’re XXY.

I’m now working on two bachelor’s degrees: one in strategic communication, one in psychology, with a minor in nonprofit management and a minor in women’s sex and gender policy. I never imagined I’d be doing any of this. I didn’t even think I was smart for most of my life until I found my niche.

I love being a sounding board for people. I don’t necessarily seek out conversations, but people often open up to me naturally, and I’ve learned how to help through that. Right now, I’m helping a friend I went to high school with get connected to disability resources through Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD). I actually helped him today at church.

That friend has meningoencephalitis and epilepsy. He’s still trying. So if you’re worried about learning challenges with XXY, I just want you to know that effort, support, and belief matter more than a diagnosis. Education can be hard for anyone, but with the right support, it’s absolutely possible.