Taylor Carley Honored for Advocacy Work (MS UCEDD)
April 23, 2014
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Hattiesburg native Taylor Carley has many dreams, and each day he works toward the goal of achieving them.
The 20-year-old, who has autism, has found his calling in life: helping people and being an advocate.
Whether it's being the best at his job at Sam's Club helping motorists fuel up or proving to the world that people with disabilities have just as many abilities as anyone else, Carley embraces each day with enthusiasm.
That passion has not gone unnoticed.
On Feb. 19, the Mississippi Special Education Advisory Panel awarded Carley the state's first Breaking Barriers Award at a ceremony at the Jackson Convention Center.
Carley was recognized for his many abilities and his advocacy work. He said he was surprised and excited to receive the award.
"I want to show others that even though I have a disability, it's an ability. It doesn't make me weak. I am just like everybody else," Carley said. "I just take time to learn and get better at things just like everybody else. ... I want to show others that they can do what they want to do."
As co-president of USM's Step Up Council - one of the university's newest student organizations - Carley said he tries to be a living example of what others with disabilities can achieve if they follow their dreams and believe in themselves.
"(The Step Up Council) pretty much helps people transition to adulthood and get a job and go to college and be independent one day," he said. "Right now, I'm focused on recruiting because now we're a USM student organization. I want more recruits and more people to join so we'll be a big organization and also so my friends will be able to tell people, 'Hey, this helped me. Why not let it help your child, too?'"
Laura Carley said her son's journey to becoming a leader began after he graduated from Sumrall High School in 2011.
"There is no program for these children once they graduate," Laura Carley said. "When he graduated it was pretty much like, 'See ya, Taylor. Now, go home.' This child is very shy, but has such a sweet loving soul, and I just could not fathom him sitting at home doing nothing. So, I got out there and dug and dug and finally someone led me to Mr. Jerry (Alliston.
