Patch Whiz Kid of the Week: Taylor Stolzfus

Each week, Marple Newtown Patch will seek suggestions from readers for individual kids, youth groups, teens, and even sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments. This week we highlight Taylor Stolzfus, a 14-year-old Newtown Square resident, who is giving back to the community by volunteering her time and working with children with autism.

Patch Whiz Kid of the Week: Taylor Stolzfus

Whiz Kid's Age: 14

Whiz Kid's School:

Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Taylor volunteers every Tuesday and Thursday at the Child Guidance Resource Centers’ (CGRC) After School Program (ASP) in Havertown to work with the kids. The ASP is a unique and innovative program created for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders that focuses on developmental and social skills. Taylor works with children ages 5-10 who attend the intermediate program. Taylor helps with the children's development of concrete and abstract social skills such as greeting peers and empathy.

Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness: Taylor volunteers with cousin Caitlyn Weir, of Haverford, in which both began volunteering at CGRC because of family connections to the organization. Taylor’s mother, Lisa Stoltzfus, and both girls’ aunt, Colleen McNichol, Chief Operations Officer, have worked at CGRC for years. You can tell the girls are not coming to the program every Tuesday and Thursday out of family obligation, and it’s clear they really love it.

“Some of the kids are just so cute,” Caitlyn said. “And they say the funniest things sometimes. They just make me laugh.” Taylor agreed. Taylor is the quieter of the two, but she smiles when asked what she thought she’d learned in the past three months of volunteering.

"I'm kind of shy and this has helped me feel more...confident." Both girls agree that their confidence level has greatly increased since they started volunteering at CGRC, perhaps because of the hands-on, engaging role they play and the feelings of achievement they gain every day.

“It’s very active, there’s always something to do,” Caitlyn said. When the girls arrive, they meet with the Director of the After School Program, Patrick Rowley, and head to their regular classrooms.

Under the supervision of the group leader, Caitlyn and Taylor help with homework, push kids on the swings outside, serve snacks, read books, and help with the development and growth of the children in the program. Every day they learn more and more about the children that they work with and, just as importantly, more about themselves.

Their work with the program also benefits their personal and family lives. Taylor has a 10-year-old cousin, Dylan, who is diagnosed with autism. She talks about how, in her family, he’s just Dylan. He is loved, played with and treated just like any other child in the family.

She never even thought about whether or not it was difficult for Dylan to interact in other settings where people don’t know him as well. She assumed everyone understood Dylan the way her family did. But now, because of her time at CGRC, she  better understands some of the challenges that her cousin might face on a daily basis. 

Director Patrick Rowley spoke highly of Caitlyn and Taylor and the impact they have on the program and the program has on them. He said, “Volunteers drastically help the overall experience of the Afterschool Program for the children and the counselors. They make the day less hectic and help in making for smoother transitions between activities. The volunteers have the opportunity to gain a lot from the program, especially ones as young as Caitlyn and Taylor. Working with children diagnosed with autism allows them to gain a different perspective on life," said Rowley.

Rowley shared his hopes for both teen girls: "I think and hope Caitlyn and Taylor will have more understanding and compassion for those with disabilities. They can use the knowledge and perspective they’ve gained from the program to make a difference among their peers. Many people in today’s society, both young and old, have a misconstrued perspective of autism as an imperfection that severely disables the individual on a permanent basis. Caitlyn and Taylor now understand that children and adults with autism look just like anyone else and have quirks and habits just like anyone else. By taking the time to understand the autistic population, they have learned a lot about themselves and how they view others.”

“Every day you leave and you feel like you’ve accomplished something new,” said Taylor.

And both girls agreed that there’s nothing better than walking back after missing a day and having a child come up to them, wrap his/her little arms around them in a big hug and tell them they missed them. That’s how they know their presence really makes a difference.

This article has been provided by the CGRC.

Editor's note: Know a great kid who made Eagle Scout or did your local soccer team take the championship? They may be our next Patch Whiz Kid honoree. We want to hear about these amazing children and teens and select one each week as the Patch Whiz Kid.