Autistic ASU graduate hopes to inspire others, help those with disabilities

A Valley man has never let his disability stop him from following his dreams, and now he's sharing his story in hopes that it will inspire others to do the same.

James Diebler is autistic, but it never stopped him - and it definitely didn't stop him from getting a degree from ASU.

"I started crowdfunding because I wanted to advance my education at ASU," Diebler said.

Through scholarships and crowdfunding, he was able to get his master's degree in Public Service and Public Policy.

"They had a lot of faith in me because I worked hard to do my homework on time," Diebler said.

The graduate says he hopes to work in either state, local or federal government. He wants to be a role model and advocate for others like him.

"There's a lot of autistic people struggling in Arizona," he said. "I encourage [those] with autism and all types of disabilities to work hard in college, and don't give up on your dreams."