April is autism awareness month. As such, I would like to bring to your attention an incredible person, Temple Grandin. She is the USA Today 2025 recipient of the Colorado Woman of the Year Award. She is also autistic. Autism and the award might seem an unlikely pairing, but they are not. For decades, Temple has been an autism advocate and an animal behavior expert. Her neurodiversity is her superpower, not a label. “The skills that people with autism bring to the table should be nurtured for their benefit and society’s,” Grandin said. “And, if a cure for autism were found,” she would choose to stay just the way she is.
Because her mother believed in her, she learned to believe in herself. Time and time again, people tried to write her off because of her diagnosis or being a female. Temple has navigated numerous barriers with unmeasurable determination. She is passionate about capitalizing on a person’s potential and not using labels. Her opinion is that labels minimize expectations. Temple is an example of someone who has more than lived up to her potential. She has shattered expectations and raised the bar for females and neurodivergent persons.
Colorado Woman of the Year is one of the noteworthy achievements that go with the name Temple Grandin. She is an admirable human from whom we should all take a page. The fact that her mind works differently than most is what makes Temple’s contributions to society possible. Without Temple’s unique take on autism and brilliant discoveries, the world would be a very different place for us all. Here’s to celebrating Temple and all of our differences.
To learn more about this amazing person, please visit https://agsci.source.colostate.edu/csus-grandin-usa-today-2025-woman-of-the-year/ or https://www.templegrandin.com/
