Christopher's Story: Learning—and Teaching—Through Diversity

对克里斯托弗·平克斯塔夫来说，教育是他看待世界的核心部分. “When you teach, you learn," he says. "When I'm helping others, I'm learning—and cementing my knowledge."

When Pinkstaff, 28, graduated from the University of California, Irvine, 他的第一份工作是为一个课后项目做导师和导师. 今天, he continues to volunteer as a tutor in his free time.

他把教育作为个人财务顾问的工作重点.P. Morgan U.S. Wealth Management in Irvine. When he meets a new client, 在教育他们实现目标的最佳途径之前，他强调要了解他们的一切——从他们的价值观到他们的希望和梦想.

But that 焦点 on education and personal communication didn't come naturally to Pinkstaff; long before he began teaching others, he had to learn how to teach himself. 这个故事是如何发生的——以及他在这个过程中不得不面对的挑战——充分说明了平克斯塔夫的决心, and the dedication that he brings to every aspect of his life.

A Different Perspective

作为一个孩子，平克斯塔夫关注的是效率，往往优先于沟通. For example, 当一位老师告诉他，他必须先给一幅画上色，然后才能去玩, he took a black crayon and scribbled in the picture indiscriminately. 他为自己发现了一种最高效率的秘密策略而感到自豪, but when he turned his drawing in, 他的老师因为他没有在字里行间涂上颜色而告诫他——这是她没有清楚传达的任务的一部分.

这时，平克斯塔夫才知道他的观点与其他人不同——有些人可能会消极地解读他的观点. 从那时起，他的生活就变成了倾听、关注和适应.

当平克斯塔夫上大学时，他知道他独特的观点有一个名字. 当他需要不断适应社会环境时，他正在和一位教授一对一地学习, and his energy crashed. The professor suggested that he get tested for autism, and the tests revealed that he had a form of Autism Spectrum Condition.

Long before he received his diagnosis, 平克斯塔夫已经着手寻找有效导航神经典型世界的方法. The first step, for him, was gaining a better understanding of himself. As Pinkstaff sees it, an engine of logic drives his mind, 而且，他经常努力领会许多人认为理所当然的看似不合逻辑的社会习俗.

As he grew to understand his own perspective, 平克斯塔夫开始制定有意识的策略和计划方法来帮助他操作和与他人互动.

“只有当你把它与不像你的人或标准进行比较时，神经分化才会出现分歧," he says.

平克斯塔夫对自己为适应典型的神经世界所做的工作感到自豪, but with the diagnosis, he discovered that support was available, and could help him realize his full potential. 这给了他确凿的证据，证明他和许多人不同，在某种程度上，没有人能看出来.

Skin-Deep Diversity

While Pinkstaff's neurodiversity has always been hidden from view, another aspect of his lived experience is far more apparent: He is Black. At times, 这两种形式的多样性的交集增加了他在社交场合的困惑.

“这真的很难，因为我不知道人们是因为我的表达多样性还是因为我的外表多样性而有问题," he explains.

事实上，平克斯塔夫有两个影响多样性的因素，一个是可见的, one hidden from view—doesn't discourage him from pursuing his goals.

“Neurodivergence is a mandatory part of life that I have to adapt to; on top of that, I have to be aware of the bias for the potential prejudice," Pinkstaff says. “I am an African American person, and I identify as that, but at the same time, I'm not defined by my blackness. I'm a person, and the blackness is a feature."

Choosing to Disclose

While Pinkstaff's diagnosis made him aware of the resources available to him, he still wasn't sure if he should disclose his neurodiversity to employers. 毕竟，承认自己的诊断可能意味着他将不得不面对更多的偏见. Besides, he'd always operated on a principle that, despite any potential disadvantages, he would work harder to keep up with his peers and excel. The burden, he felt, was his to bear alone.

在J.P. Morgan, however, 平克斯塔夫觉得他已经找到了一个可以拥抱和支持他神经多样性的环境. All his life, he had found ways of fitting into rigid containers built for him, but if he disclosed his neurodiversity at J.P. Morgan, he realized, the container would mold itself around him. 虽然他仍然会运用他在一生的适应中发展起来的策略, he would no longer be singularly burdened with the task of fitting in.

最终，他决定，公开自己的神经多样性是合乎逻辑的选择.

他解释说:“任何事情都需要一个合乎逻辑的理由，所以披露就成了合乎逻辑的必要。. “I believed starting out with that would establish better rapport, better understanding, better communication, and fewer problems."

Bringing Empathy—and Education—to the Office

平克斯塔夫驾驭自己神经多样性的经验，扩大了他与客户的同理心和沟通能力, coworkers, and the world around him. For him, 在被别人教育的同时，教育别人的反馈循环给了他学习的机会, 成长, and better communicate his knowledge. “I'm an educator," he says. “That means I educate, support...and learn."

今天, he is feeding that passion to engage with other people, whether through tutoring, financial planning, or sitting down for a friendly chat. 对平克斯塔夫来说，每一次与他人的相遇都是一次学习和成长的机会. Conversely, 约会或会议之间的每一段时间都是他需要独处的时间, reflect, 焦点, and plan.

平克斯塔夫希望继续分享他的金融知识，并在金融行业中成长, eventually advancing to manage his own team or run his own firm. 他也没有排除有朝一日将自己的经验运用到课堂上的可能性, 在帮助每个学生找到适合他们的策略的同时，他想在哪里教给下一代新的和多样化的思考世界的方式. Until then, he'll continue sharing his thoughts with his clients and his team, 因为——正如平克斯塔夫所说——“不同的思想和方法产生不同的力量。."