In 2014, I became a team buddy to a colleague on the spectrum. He was part of the first United States cohort group in Newtown Square and was given a desk right next to mine.
As he sat down, he noticed my name placard on the wall. He said, “Oh, do you know a Pete with the same last name?” and I said, “Yes, actually, that's my father!” It had turned out that Charlie, my new teammate, had learned his introduction to computers and coding from my father. Over a decade later, he became my coworker! It felt like such a small world.
As Charlie progressed through his career to new teams, he met new friends and introduced me to one of our quieter colleagues at SAP, Eva. She and I hit it off — she is one of the most caring and compassionate individuals I have ever had the pleasure of knowing and, better yet, has become one of my best friends.
From 2014 to 2020, we met weekly after hours to play the game of the week. With the pandemic, we moved online but it was tough to make time with everyone's new schedules.
It is such a fun, relaxing way to foster friendships and meet people in different roles. Gamers know it can be hard to find people who want to play the difficult games and this group really makes it possible with games of all complexity levels.
In April 2023, as part of the Autism at Work 10-year celebrations, we held a celebratory session where 12 of us came back together in-person to play games and catch up.
Without the SAP Autism at Work program, I would never have met these wonderful people, would never have known anything about autism, and would never have known that my dad mentored anyone. It has been an eye-opening experience into a world where inclusion, perspective, patience, and empathy lead the way. This program and volunteering have shaped who I am today.
This story is in Andrea's own words.
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