Life guarding, landscaping, working at your local ice cream shop — these are all typical summer jobs most of us have had in the past. But not me. For the past three years I have had the great privilege and experience of babysitting a remarkable young boy.

Now I know what most of you are thinking, “What’s so great about babysitting?” But it, too, can be considered your typical summer job.

On June 23, 2004, my aunt gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Mark. He was born into a wonderful, loving and caring family. Mark was a very privileged baby; he was given everything he needed and more, along with unconditional love from all of his family.

But starting around age two, my aunt began to notice some unusual behavior from Mark. He didn’t talk. An average baby usually says their first words around one and a half or two, but Mark did not.

He did not say “mama” or “dada” — nothing. This is when my aunt knew something was not right. At age four, Mark was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.

Autism is defined as a disorder of neural development that is characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. At this time the cause of autism is unknown and there is no cure. As you can imagine, my aunt was devastated that her son would not live a completely normal life.

Working with Mark for the past three years has taught me so much, and I have gained many valuable qualities throughout this experience. My family has had to adapt themselves in order to communicate and interact with Mark, but we would not change him for the world. Throughout working with him, I have learned patience, an understanding for his disorder and an appreciation for my own life.

I am currently a member of Alpha Xi Delta sorority here on campus, and our philanthropy is Autism Speaks, an organization dedicated to raising money for more research about the disease and finding a cure.

This week is our philanthropy week and we are working hard to raise money for this cause. Please stop by our cookie sales today and tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Lalumiere, Olin, Straz Hall and under the Bridge. We are also hosting a puzzle tournament called the AmaXIng Challenge: Puzzlepalooza tomorrow night from 7 to 9 p.m. at 2040 Lofts. Please stop by sale tables to learn more about this event!

Alpha Xi Delta would appreciate any support you can give us as we work for this worthy cause. Do it for Mark and others like him.

Liz Caron is a sophomore in the College of Communication