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‘Take a chance on me’: Man with autism writes note for future employers
Lowry took to LinkedIn to share his hand-written letter. “Please see my letter to future employers,” with this caption, he shared the note.
Every now and then, we come across stories that are heartwarming and inspiring, all at the same time. Such is the tale of Ryan Lowry, a soon-to-be graduate hailing from Virginia. A letter he wrote urging future employers to take a chance on him has won people over and prompted many to offer him a helping hand.
Lowry took to LinkedIn to share his hand-written letter. “Please see my letter to future employers,” with this caption, he shared the note.
“Dear Future Employer,” reads the salutation. The letter then goes on to read, “My name is Ryan Lowry, I am 19-years-old, live in Leesburg, Virginia, and I have autism. I also have a unique sense of humour, am gifted at math, really good with technology, and a very quick learner.”
In the next few lines Lowry writes about his interest in getting a job in animation or IT and what he will do if someone takes a chance on him. “I realize that someone like you will have to take a chance on me, I don’t learn like typical people do. I would need a mentor to teach me, but I learn quickly, once you explain it, I get it. I promise that if you hire me and teach me, you’ll be glad that you did. I will show up every day, do what you tell me to do, and work really hard.”
He concludes his letter with the line, “Please let me know if you would like to talk about this with me. Thank you.”
Lowry currently works at a coffee shop, but his employment will end once he graduates, reports CNN. That is what prompted him to look for employment opportunities. Initially, he was going to type the letter on a computer but his younger brother suggested that it should be handwritten. Also, the family decided to share it on LinkedIn as they thought it would be more effective than sending mails. Their idea, it seems, paid off. Soon after sharing the note, thousands of people posted their reactions to it. A few also shared similar stories of struggle and how they overcame them.
From appreciating his courage to offering him their help as mentors to even presenting him with job opportunities, people shared all sorts of comments while reacting to the post.
"We had never thought this was going to happen and we were overwhelmed with the number of people with stories like Ryan's story, which is a really beautiful part of what's happening as well," Tracy, Lowry’s mother, told People. "We lay in bed at night and I cry reading stories of other people,” she added.
Lowry later shared another post on LinkedIn thanking everyone for showing their support. He shared a video along with a post in which he talks about what sparked his interest in animation. In the caption, he shared that he is presently learning animation at A Place To Be, a music therapy nonprofit.
The organisation also shared the video on their official Facebook account. The video ends with a song by Lowry.
What do you think of the Ryan Lowry’s story? Did it inspire you too?
