Direct from his dorm room at Northern Arizona University, Aidan shares about the importance of the sliding-scale tuition he received from NDI New Mexico.
Just $25 supports sliding-scale tuition for students like Aidan.
My family was not the most fortunate. I grew up in a one-parent family with two siblings. We lived in a hotel. At six years old, I remember lying on the bed with my mom, watching ballet on TV, and she told me, “One day you are going to be one of those ballet dancers”, and I didn’t believe her. I said I would never go into dance.
I danced at NDI New Mexico for eight years! I even taught ballet to kids!
Through the In-School program at Zia Elementary, my mom found out about NDI’s After-School program at The Hiland. I took all the classes my schedule would allow – from ballet to hip-hop, to tap. I moved through all the teams on the NDI path – Outreach, Super Wonderful Advanced Team (SWAT), Celebration Team, and the Hiland Company Dancers.
Teachers at my school told my mom I was a bad child because I misbehaved. I was diagnosed with autism. I couldn’t learn certain things, got bored easily, and would lash out. There was a lot going on.
After hearing I had detention because I didn’t do my homework, my NDI instructor said, “That doesn’t sound like Aidan because he is such an obedient child.” That was the first time I remembered hearing something positive from a teacher or instructor. NDI instructors saw my extra energy as a resource for me to draw upon.
I attended an NDI class designed to introduce related fields such as dance medicine and dance history called The Complete Dancer. This class sparked my interest in physical therapy, and I pursued a job as a physical therapy tech.
NDI gives kids somewhere to be – a safe and healthy environment – rather than doing other things that could be hurtful to themselves. What I keep with me is the Core Four – Work Hard, Do Your Best, Never Give Up, and Be Healthy. I have the mission statement memorized! I know that without the help and influence of NDI, I wouldn’t be where I am. I am the first generation in my family on my dad’s side to finish high school and go to college.
I am pursuing my dream of becoming a physical therapist, which I may never have known about without NDI. I am one month and four days in toward my goal and I am never giving up.
– Aidan