Student with Asperger’s goes from
special ed to valedictorian
By Miguel Otrola, Seattle Times on 06.26.15
Word Count 1,002
Chance Mair (center) gets a group hug from friends in the hall of Marysville Arts and Technology High School in
Marysville, Washington. Photo: Steve Ringman/Seattle Times/TNS
SEATTLE — For Chance Mair, sometimes emotions are hard to express.
And it was certainly an emotional night at Marysville Arts and Technology High School’s
graduation recently, where the students filed into the auditorium in black gowns and royalblue stoles.
Not only was Mair graduating with the 50 seniors in his class, he was the class
valedictorian. And he would be giving the valedictorian address, a momentous occasion
for a student who was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at an early age.
Mair had never told most of his classmates he has Asperger’s. Never told them he had
started his schooling in a special-education classroom, or that he received social therapy
treatment when he was younger.
“It’s one of those things that for the longest time I didn’t want to tell people,” he said earlier
in the day. “But now that I’m graduating, I don’t want to hold it back. I want people to know
me for who I really am.”
Growing up in Marysville, Wash., Mair spent his childhood learning how to overcome
sensory struggles that come naturally to other children.
Having Asperger’s meant he didn’t talk much, and he had difficulties understanding the
nuances in body language. He was overly sensitive to loud noises and strong flavors. His
parents recount stories about how he would struggle to tell his peers he wanted to play
with them, standing quietly by their side.
“I can know that I need to say something and I can feel the confidence to say it when I’m
playing it out,” he said. “But then when I get to that step where I actually have to do it, like
the execution, that’s when I tense up and get really nervous, really scared.
“Sometimes it’s not even a shyness, sometimes it’s like a fear, a fear of socialness.”
His parents knew his success depended on finding a place where he could build his
social skills — and have fun doing it, too.
One way he did that was through bowling. He became fascinated with the sport when he
was about 5 years old, playing with different teams in bowling alleys around the Marysville
area.
“Diversity is one of the reasons I like it. There’s no one kind of person, there’s no one way
you can bowl,” he said. “There are so many possibilities, I guess.”
His parents saw bowling as an opportunity for him to work on his communication skills.
They signed him up for as many leagues as possible.
“You put him in a bowling alley, it’s his environment, it’s his home,” said Mair’s father, Derek
Mair. “Doesn’t matter what bowling alley. He loves it.”
At Marysville Arts and Technology high school, Mair was a member of the bowling team
and traveled to the state tournament multiple times. His favorite ball is a 15-pound, solid
blue Hy-Road.
“It’s the one I’ve been using the longest and the one I can always count on to get strikes.
It’s never let me down,” he said.
Mair also excelled in mathematics. His mother, Christine, remembers he would write
numbers to the thousands back in kindergarten.
“I can count better than I can talk sometimes,” he said.
Over time, Mair’s family carved a path that would challenge him, but was also comfortable.
He moved from the special-education class and therapy to regular elementary-school
classes. He took half his courses in a public middle school and the rest at Washington
Virtual Academy online. Once in high school, he was so advanced in math he ended up
taking courses at Everett Community College.
He and his family chose Marysville Arts and Tech because it was a small school where he
could continue working on his social skills, as well as receive extra attention.
“At a smaller campus those teachers are getting to know you,” his mother said. “They’re
learning about your learning style and you’re having them again year after year.”
And he thrived there, with a GPA high enough to earn the valedictorian’s medal.
In August, Mair will attend Washington State University for free through a Distinguished
Regents scholarship. He chose WSU over Central Washington University, where he was
also accepted.
A member of the honors college, he plans to major in mathematics and join the intramural
bowling league.
“I’m really happy that I’ve achieved so much and that I’ve gotten to this point in life, but I’m
also really sad that all the time has gone by and now I have to say goodbye to all my
friends,” he said.
That was what he prepared to say in his speech to his classmates and some of his former
teachers, whom he had kept in touch with over the years and had invited to the ceremony.
Mair made the text large enough so he wouldn’t stumble over the words, bolding certain
words for emphasis.
But soon after the ceremony began, after the seniors sat down and the national anthem
was sung, the power at the school gymnasium went out.
That meant no microphones and no lights.
But that didn’t faze Mair — it was just another opportunity to fulfill his potential.
When he told them about his Asperger’s, some in the audience audibly expressed
surprise.
His struggles, he said, are similar to the struggles everyone faces in their lives. To him,
everyone has something they need to overcome, and it’s just a matter of how to learn,
persevere and move forward.
“Wherever our individual paths take us, there will be challenges,” Mair told the graduates.
“There will be people and circumstances that say, ‘No we can’t.’ It’s up to us to decide
whether or not we listen to them.
“We choose whether we sink or swim, stand up or lay down, fight or fall, succeed or fail.”
After he finished, the audience cheered. Carol Sherard, who taught him back when he was
a special-education student in elementary school, said she was exceptionally proud of
him.
“I feel he is representing a whole population of kids that often don’t get represented in the
best light,” she said.
Quiz
1
Which sentence from the article is LEAST important to the central idea?
(A)
Growing up in Marysville, Wash., Mair spent his childhood learning how to
overcome sensory struggles that come naturally to other children.
(B)
His parents knew his success depended on finding a place where he could
build his social skills — and have fun doing it, too.
(C)
At Marysville Arts and Technology high school, Mair was a member of the
bowling team and traveled to the state tournament multiple times.
(D)
“I’m really happy that I’ve achieved so much and that I’ve gotten to this point
in life, but I’m also really sad that all the time has gone by and now I have to
say goodbye to all my friends,” he said.
2
Select the paragraph from the middle of the article that summarizes Mair's educational journey.
3
Read the sentence from the beginning of the article.
And he would be giving the valedictorian address, a momentous
occasion for a student who was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome
at an early age.
Which word has the same meaning as "momentous" as used in the sentence above?
4
(A)
unusual
(B)
significant
(C)
relevant
(D)
primary
Read the following selection from the article.
Having Asperger’s meant he didn’t talk much, and he had difficulties
understanding the nuances in body language.
Which phrase could replace the word "nuances" above and NOT change the meaning of the
sentence?
(A)
subtle differences
(B)
dramatic changes
(C)
gradual movements
(D)
communication styles
Answer Key
1
2
Which sentence from the article is LEAST important to the central idea?
(A)
Growing up in Marysville, Wash., Mair spent his childhood learning how to
overcome sensory struggles that come naturally to other children.
(B)
His parents knew his success depended on finding a place where he could
build his social skills — and have fun doing it, too.
(C)
At Marysville Arts and Technology high school, Mair was a member of
the bowling team and traveled to the state tournament multiple times.
(D)
“I’m really happy that I’ve achieved so much and that I’ve gotten to this point
in life, but I’m also really sad that all the time has gone by and now I have to
say goodbye to all my friends,” he said.
Select the paragraph from the middle of the article that summarizes Mair's educational journey.
Paragraph 18:
Over time, Mair’s family carved a path that would challenge him, but was also
comfortable. He moved from the special-education class and therapy to regular
elementary-school classes. He took half his courses in a public middle school
and the rest at Washington Virtual Academy online. Once in high school, he was
so advanced in math he ended up taking courses at Everett Community College.
3
Read the sentence from the beginning of the article.
And he would be giving the valedictorian address, a momentous
occasion for a student who was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome
at an early age.
Which word has the same meaning as "momentous" as used in the sentence above?
(A)
unusual
(B)
significant
(C)
relevant
(D)
primary
4
Read the following selection from the article.
Having Asperger’s meant he didn’t talk much, and he had difficulties
understanding the nuances in body language.
Which phrase could replace the word "nuances" above and NOT change the meaning of the
sentence?
(A)
subtle differences
(B)
dramatic changes
(C)
gradual movements
(D)
communication styles