jews d
in
the
Unlocking
Potential
Ben Gretchko
had an excellent
freshman year at
Western and is
ready for more.
first year at Western Michigan
University (WMU) would’ve been
reason enough to celebrate. That
Ben finished his first year with
a 3.77 GPA, all A’s in his second
semester, a place on the Dean’s
List and an invitation to the
Honors College is the stuff of
dreams.
The secret to Ben’s success is
really no secret at all. His monu-
mental accomplishments can be
Ben Gretchko’s successful
first year at college included a
3.77 GPA, making the Dean’s
List, receiving an invitation to
the Honors College as well as
partaking fully in student life.
He is studying journalism.
Autism Services Center provides
an outstanding resource for
students on the autism spec-
trum and is dedicated to help-
ing students like Ben maximize
their potential. The center has
helped Ben successfully make
the transition from high school
and home to college and campus
life by providing support to help
improve his life skills, social skills
and advocacy skills.
transition to campus life, Ben
has developed what his mother
calls a “quiet confidence.” To
Lisa’s point, when reflecting
upon his first full year in col-
lege, Ben said to his folks: “I
think I finally figured out that I
can enjoy college life and keep
up my grades, too. I have to
work very hard, but I’m just as
smart as the next guy.”
Steve admits, “Like all par-
“I think I finally figured out that I can enjoy college
life and keep up my grades, too. I have to work very
hard, but I’m just as smart as the next guy.”
Alan Muskovitz
— BEN GRETCHKO
I
t would be easy to say this
past year has been a trans-
formational one for 19-year-
old Ben Gretchko, but the truth
is that Ben’s entire life has been
a series of incredible transfor-
mations.
A video of a speech Ben
delivered during his Seaholm
High School graduation in June
2017 inspired my writing last
fall about his extraordinary
journey as a child with autism
and the pivotal role his doctor,
Richard Solomon, M.D., played
in his development. Ben’s speech
went viral on the Autism Speaks
Facebook page and to date has
amassed more than 2.5 million
views. A new video, Graduating
with Autism: The Ben Gretchko
Story, gives a behind-the-scenes
look leading up to his speech
(playproject.org/graduating-
with-autism/).
For a young man who didn’t
utter his first words until he
was 4, successfully finishing his
10
August 30 • 2018
directly traced to the intensive
training and guidance his par-
ents, Lisa and Steve Gretchko of
Birmingham, received through
Dr. Solomon’s PLAY Project.
Solomon is the medical direc-
tor of the Ann Arbor Center for
Developmental and Behavior
Pediatrics.
PLAY, an acronym for
Play & Language for Autistic
Youngsters, is an early interven-
tion program to help children
with autism that relies on a
Parent-Implemented Model
(PIM) where the parents apply
strategies unique to their child’s
developmental needs.
The Gretchkos also have
no shortage of praise for the
Birmingham School District that,
according to Lisa, “paved the
way for Ben to be prepared for
Western Michigan.”
Ben takes regular classes at
WMU, where he’s currently a
journalism major. The WMU’s
jn
COLLEGE LIFE
Ben began his college experi-
ence by taking one class at
WMU last summer, before his
freshman year began. That
“ice-breaker” enabled him to
acclimate to WMU when the
campus was quieter, and it set
him up for what turned out to
be a memorable freshman year.
And Ben’s achievements
haven’t been limited to just
the classroom. He’s taken full
advantage of the myriad of
activities campus life provides
(including programs offered
at Hillel) and has derived a
great deal of satisfaction from
his new-found friendships.
“I learned a great deal about
myself over the past year —
who my friends are, how to
navigate college and how to do
more things on my own,” Ben
said.
Because of his early academ-
ic success at WMU and his easy
ents of college freshmen, Lisa
and I worried whether Ben
could adapt to college life and
handle the academic rigor. Of
course, we are very proud that
Ben is thriving at WMU, but we
recognize that Ben’s success is
due to his hard work and the
fact that WMU provides a sup-
portive environment for him.”
Solomon, affectionately
referred to by his clients as “the
fun doctor,” is equally ecstatic
over Ben’s progress.
“I’ve been utterly impressed
by how well Ben has adapted
to college,” he says. “He’s doing
well not only academically but
he’s doing well socially and psy-
chologically. While I am very
proud of Ben’s achievements,
I’m even more impressed by his
maturity and emotional intel-
ligence. This is a real testament
to the potential within people
who have an autism spectrum
disorder and should be an
inspiration for all of us to keep
growing and developing.”
Ben recently moved home
after taking a couple of sum-
mer classes at WMU and just
learned he got A’s in both
courses. He spent the rest of his
summer break working part-
time and relaxing.
Ben has also set his sights
on securing a media internship
within the next year. “There’s a
lot going on in journalism,” says
Ben, reflecting on the current
scrutiny of the media. “I just
want to tell people’s stories and
just get it right.”
Ben thrives on the challenge
and competition that college
life has offered him and, for
that reason, the beginning of
his second full year at WMU
can’t come soon enough.
“I’m excited for my new
classes and hope for continued
academic success,” Ben said. “I
also look forward to meeting
new people while ‘picking up
where I left off ’ with the friends
I made at WMU last year.”
While Ben would just as soon
move on with his college life
without the added attention
he’s received, he understands
the inspiration his journey can
provide in allaying the fears of
other students in similar cir-
cumstances.
“If people decided to go to
college because of my story,” he
says, “it would feel really, really
good.” •
To read the original story about
Ben, go to thejewishnews.
com/2017/09/20/32174/.
To learn about WMU’s
Autism Center of Excellence, go to
wmich.edu/autism/asc.