Hello, my name is Alanna Wilson, but I everyone calls me Ali. I am 30 years old and live in Barrie, ON with my mom, dad and two younger siblings. My sister Brianna, who is 28, is a mining engineering graduate student from Queen’s University. She is currently taking a civil engineering program at York University in Toronto, where she commutes back and forth from home to school most of the time. But right now she’s home and taking her classes online, due to the quarantine. My brother Jonathan is 26 and is currently living in Keswick, ON, where he works at a water treatment plant.
My family also have two precious and loving dogs: Megan, aka, Meggie, is a 7 almost 8 year old French Spaniel, and Finn is an adorable 1 ½ almost 2 year old Llewellin Setter. They certainly keep us busy, as they are both full of energy but I love them both, as they make us all laugh.
I have many accomplishments that I’m proud of, but these are the most important ones:
- When I was 14, I was on the 2004 Grade 9 Honor Roll at Huron Heights Secondary School in Newmarket, ON.
- I am a graduate of Keswick High School in Keswick, ON. In 2007 I received the Passport to Safety Certificate, as well as earning my Grade 12 Secondary School Diploma as well as getting on the Honor Roll in 2009.
- I also graduated from the CICE (Community Integration Through Community Education) Program at Georgian College in Barrie, ON in 2016, receiving my certificate.
My interests are many, but the main ones are books, movies and animals. I also love writing stories in my spare time and dream of becoming a published author someday. I am also a very organized and detailed person. My other hobby is history, for that was my best subject when I was in public school and high school. I love reading anything about the R.M.S. Titanic, a fascination that started way back in public school; I’ve been interested in it ever since, collecting memorabilia and many books about it over the years.
There are many things that I’m grateful for.
First off, I’m grateful for my family and my beloved dogs, as they’ve always been there for me and been a shoulder to cry on when I need it. Both my parents and siblings have always been supportive of me, and we’re very close. They always know the right thing to say to make me feel better and smile, as well as make me laugh and I always have a lot of fun with them. My family are willing to do things with me, such as going to musicals, even though it’s not something they want to do. Also, they have always supported my Titanic hobby, which I am very grateful.
Secondly, I’m also grateful for my best friend Kylie Andrade, who lives in Newmarket ON. We’ve known each other since Grade 9, where we first met at Huron Heights Secondary School; so we’ve been friends for about 15 years now. We communicate a lot of the time by email and see each other as often as we can, so I’m fortunate and happy that we’ve kept in touch all these years.
Kylie and I have three things in common: we both have autism, so we can relate to one another and talk about anything. We also have similar interests in books and the library, as Kylie is currently employed at her library in Newmarket. Kylie also has a cute black cat named Bosco, and when she visits she snuggles with Finn and Megan, so she and I have the same love of animals.
I’m also grateful to Pat and my coach Chantelle at Integrated Autism Consulting. They’ve encouraged me to try new things, such as the Transition to Life course and Social Club, as well as helping me to start thinking about my future and eventual employment.
Lastly, I am grateful for all the teachers and tutors that I’ve had over the years. For they were always there to support me and worked with my parents to make sure I had the accommodations needed in order for me to succeed.
Written by Alanna (Ali) Wilson |
