Just as little as three years ago, John didn’t have a clear direction for his life.  Now he looks around him and sees a life that he never dreamed of – and… he has even bigger plans for his future.  He has grown from a young kid with little idea as to what he wanted to do, to a young man who is working, paying bills, enjoying his hobbies, driving, going to church and hanging out with friends.

Through the years, John has received a lot of support to help him prepare for his future.   As a student at Tri-Village High School, John participated in a program called Opportunity 13, led by teacher Karyn Smith.  This program is developed for students with special needs and is designed to give students the opportunity to gain valuable real-world learning through community involvement.   The students volunteer weekly at several sites including the Humane Society, Arcanum Elementary, Darke County Educational Service Center, Rest Haven Nursing Home and the Tri-Village Rescue Services facility.  John was able to learn valuable employment and social skills, meet lots of new people, as well as gain insight to his interests regarding various jobs.

While in high school, John also became involved with Bridges to Transition, a program under the Darke County Board of Developmental Disabilities (Darke DD) that begins meeting with kids at age 14 and works in coordination with the schools to help prepare them for employment.  Bridges also supported John in getting his driver’s license; he has his own car and has been driving for over two years.

Upon graduation, John began working with the Darke DD Community First Department to continue to build on the skills he learned in school.   With the help of supportive staff, John worked on creating a resume and cover letter, identifying and securing references, and practicing interviewing skills.  John also received assistance with finding jobs and has worked at Kroger and Arby’s for the past two years.  He works a combined schedule of over 30 hours per week which gives him financial independence.

John Rediger posing with Mr. Dan Wittler, of Wittler’s Black Belt Academy.
John earned one 1st and two 2nd place trophies at last week-end’s Region 8 Nationals.

John has a variety of interests and has taken the initiative to become involved in his community.  He has been practicing Tae Kwon Do for four years, and has been a member of Whittler’s Black Belt Academy, in Greenville, since 2013.  He attends classes four nights a week and is soon set to receive his brown belt.  He has participated in countless tournaments and is a Junior Assistant Instructor to help teach the younger students.  Through his training in Tae Kwon Do and his relationship with Mr. Wittler, co-owner and head instructor, John has learned discipline, dedication, faith, forgiveness, and how to relieve stress through focus and meditation.  When asked what it means to be a part of the academy, John said, “It is like family to me and they have helped me a lot in my life.  In Mr. Wittler, I have found a friend, counselor and father figure to help me through difficult times, he is my hero!”

John loves being around people and enjoys making people laugh.  His favorite part of bagging groceries at Kroger is that he gets to meet all kinds of people throughout the day.  Jerrod Thomas, manager, said that John is “…one of the most engaging associates that we have with regards to customer service”.

John is also a good public speaker.  He was invited by the Darke DD Community First Department to speak to a group of youth with disabilities who were participating in a Bridges sponsored Summer Youth Program.  John spoke to the youth about the importance of working hard in school and what employers expect of you on the job.  He then shared some of the life lessons he has learned and how much he is enjoying life.  He proved to be a very effective speaker and was able to engage the kids with his wit and humor.    He enjoyed talking to the youth and says he really likes to be able to give back to his community in these small ways.

Darke DD also provides support through the SSA department and the Discovery process which work in coordination with John to define what is important to him then helps connect him to resources in order to help him reach his goals.

John has a very positive outlook on life; he refers to his life as “an adventure” and says, “I always try to find the good in every person and situation.” He would like to use his positive attitude to work with kids.  John was adopted as a very young child and understands the importance of positive role models in a young person’s life.  His future goals include teaching kids and people with disabilities the art of Tae Kwon Do.   He would also like to get a hunting license, get a tattoo, learn to shoot a compound bow, go to a shooting range and go horseback riding – and maybe even someday own his own martial arts studio.

The Darke County Board of Developmental Disabilities is looking for people who are interested in volunteering their time to help people with disabilities realize their dreams and become more connected to their communities. If you or someone you know would like to become a friend or mentor to someone with a disability, please contact Sue Huston, Community First Transition Coordinator for Darke DD at (937) 548-9057 or sueh@darkedd.org.