Autism Mentorship Program finds silver linings while adjusting during pandemic

A mentorship program for Minnesotans with autism has been forced to adjust during the COVID-19 pandemic but has managed to find a silver lining during it all.

"The Autism Mentorship Program was designed by autistic adults to support autistic youth," Emily Goldberg, who founded of the program last year, said.

Through the program, teens get emotional support and develop their strengths.

"For many of them, it’s the first time in their lives where they’ve been looked up to as leaders, and where they’ve been valued for what their autism brings," Goldberg said.

The program matches adults with autism with high school students on the autism spectrum.

"We can kind of relate to each other," Alice Petersen, a student at Bloomington’s John F. Kennedy High School and current mentee, said.

"I try to guide Alice by pushing her out of her comfort zone," Jenna Olson, Petersen’s mentor, said.

Before the pandemic, Petersen and Olson would meet once each week after school. But due to safety guidelines, the program has been forced to go virtual.

"I wish it were in person because it’s easier to communicate with people," Petersen said.

Still, while looking to recruit more mentors, the program has found some unexpected silver linings amid the shift to virtual meetings.

"We don’t have mentors in rural Minnesota. The mentors can be here and they can serve people all over the state," Goldberg said.

"I feel grateful that I can help somebody else out who’s also facing the same challenges that I did, and knowing that I made a difference in that person’s life," Olson said.

In addition to needing more mentors, the program also depends on funding from grants and donations. You can learn more about the program by clicking here. You can make a donation here.