Autumn Cain is a 19-year-old activist from Kalamazoo, Michigan.  They are an aerospace engineering and science communication student at the University of Michigan as well as a STEM and mental health advocate. They have been involved in mental health advocacy ever since they founded an organization called Thrive Relief, which is a subscription box organization to aid those who struggle with mental health issues, all while donating to charities like Mental Health America and de-stigmatizing mental health illness as a whole. In making the world a better place for thousands nationally, they have founded three nonprofit organizations, served on multiple youth community boards, given TEDTalks about their work, ran for local office, and most importantly, they have helped thousands of people come closer to reaching their full potential in life.

 

Autumn is now the founder of Autisma, with the goal of helping women and nonbinary individuals on the spectrum find a welcoming community and receive equal representation, diagnosis, and support. From sharing the stories of women and nonbinary individuals on the spectrum to providing scholarships and grants, it is their goal to redefine the face of autism.

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When they were able to receive a proper diagnosis later in life they were "finally able to feel whole". They said that they"understood that because of my autism I was not a failure for not being 'normal', but instead perfect just as I was". They didn't wake up one day with a sudden interest in mental health activism - it has been a fight they have fought for their entire life. The difference now is that they are fully finding their mental health path and want to help others find their path as well. They want to help others who may not have their doctors or family members advocating for them - they want to be their voice and to show them that their perspective matters. They want to help others find their diagnoses and support plans so that they can live life in its entirety - because that's what we all want in the end and it's what we all deserve.