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Mitchell wasn't sure what to do after high school

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but now his career gives his life a purpose.

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He also feels that autism
actually helps him on his job

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because he's more detail
oriented than many other people.

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I know that I would not be a storyteller
today if it weren't for my disability.

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Are there positive things that your
disability provides for you?

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Hello my name is Mitchell.

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I work full time as a sterile processing technician

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over at Abbott Northwestern Hospital.

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We're basically the ones
who are responsible for cleaning

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assembling and sterilizing instruments

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that are used in surgery

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making sure they're safe to use.

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You'd be amazed by how something
that feels like a curse

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can actually be the opposite
when you use it in the workforce.

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I'm able to assemble stuff quickly.

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I'm able to tell very quickly

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whether something is dirty
or whether it's safe to use and whatnot.

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I'm able to count
like how much of what is needed

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for a set of instruments and everything.

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One thing making my life better
thanks to working

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is just having the sense
that I'm doing something good

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and it makes me feel
like I have purpose in life.

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I was one of those people in high school who

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when it was over

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didn't really have the best idea
of what to do after graduating.

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I always had interests
deep down in the health care field.

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I went to college at a Anoka Technical College.

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I originally started off taking general classses

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such as general and abnormal psychology

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lifespan development, medical terminology,
anatomy and physiology and biology.

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When I was in college

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I did have a guidance counselor on hand
if I ever needed help while I was there.

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If there was material
I didn't understand just to ask questions

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and so they understood it more.

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It was very helpful actually.

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I had help with other counselors

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who helped me with the job interviewing and whatnot

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and the skills needed for doing so.

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If it wasn't for the help I got for them
with how to apply for jobs and everything,

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then it would've been
a little bit more harder

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because I'm one of those people
who doesn't understand the ins and outs

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of applying for things and whatnot

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even though it probably is simple.

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But you have questions along the way.

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The most common fear I think for most people is

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when you walk through that door
for the first time

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and you've never had experience
in that field before

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The first one is simply

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I've never done this before

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can I do it?

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And these people
I've never met them before

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are they going to be ones
I can get along with?

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You just step through that door
and you start working

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and you'd be surprised
I think by how quickly

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you can find yourself into a good position
if it's really meant for you.

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Mitchell always felt drawn to health care

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and pursue those interests
in his postsecondary education.

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Those interests paid off and he found a
job that was just the right fit.

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He encourages
others to find that right job

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and to work through those
first day on the job fears as he did.

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You'd be surprised how quickly
you can find yourself in a good position

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if it's meant for you.

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Mitchell also used on campus support services

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that were really helpful to him there.

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There are disability
supports on all college campuses.

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Seek them out

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If you might need extra
help to be successful.

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Thank you, Mitchell.