Autism Acceptance at Wyndham Hotel & Resorts
On Monday, April 25, 2022, employees at Parsippany, NJ-based Wyndham Hotels & Resorts were invited to a special event featuring ambassador Rylee Howerton.
As they had done in previous years, corporate representatives from Wyndham reached out to Autism New Jersey to brainstorm ideas about how the company could support Autism Acceptance Month and educate their employees.
"At Wyndham, our support for those with autism, whether directly or through a loved one, is unwavering. We strive to create a world where everyone has an opportunity to succeed and achieve their goals, including those on the autism spectrum,” the company said.
We suggested Rylee as a potential speaker. A long-time autism ambassador for Autism New Jersey, Rylee, who was recently crowned Miss Outstanding Teen of North Jersey, also happens to be on the autism spectrum and is using her platform to share her experiences and raise awareness.
Choose wise words
Rylee’s message and poise dazzled the staff at Wyndham as they celebrated diversity and the achievements of individuals with autism.
Rylee was excited to take part in Wyndham’s event and share her personal story. The opportunity fit in perfectly with Rylees’s social impact initiative “Choose Wise Words,” where she educates children and adults on the importance of eradicating hurtful words that offend someone’s diagnosis, race, religion or sexual orientation and replacing those words with ones that don’t hurt.
Autism New Jersey's program offers a platform for ambassadors like Rylee to share their story and, by doing so, make a lasting impact on others like the employees at Wyndham discovered firsthand.
“We had the pleasure of hearing Rylee present to our corporate team members about her autistic diagnosis and the challenges that followed. We were moved by her stories and inspired by her achievements. One would never know Rylee was still attending high school. She was easily one of our favorite speakers.”
Plan your Corporate Program for 2023!
Corporations looking to raise awareness and enhance their DEI initiatives can reach out to Autism New Jersey like Wyndham did to help plan their program at any time throughout the year. We encourage you to start planning early for April 2023.
Interested? Contact Brynn Alberici at balberici@autismnj.org