Fernando Olivarez

My name is Fernando Olivarez IV, and I am twenty-three years old. I was born and raised in the city of San Bernardino, California. I had trouble with my learning disability in both my education and my social life. When I was younger, I was made fun of because I learn in a different way than other people. Trying to learn and complete school assignments while other students knew I was different from them was a complex situation! In high school, I applied for a program specifically for students with learning disabilities on campus; it helped students gain working experiences for pay. This program really made an impact on me; I felt other students should receive these types of opportunities and take them seriously.

In his senior year of high school, he fell in love with a program called Transitional Partnership Project. This program helped him transition after high school by giving him resources for life such as teaching him what to do and what not to do when on the job. It made a big impression on him and he was so thankful to have this program that he wanted to volunteer as a guest speaker for the schools that have a TPP class. His mission did not end there: he was privileged enough to create a brochure of a list of helpful resources for transitioning youth. His mission continues as he works to encourage high school students by speaking with them about the benefits of the available transitional programs and the ins and outs of having a learning disability.