Around 40% of autistic Americans will graduate college, according to the National Library of Medicine. Nearly 60% of non-disabled and neurotypical students graduate. It’s one of the biggest reasons Mebust, who only goes by their last name and they/them pronouns, decided to create the University of Montana Autism Network, or UMAN. They said they wanted to create a place to help beat the statistics — and, more importantly, help fellow autistic and otherwise-disabled students know they aren’t alone.

“My goal for creating UMAN was to create an intentional autistic space for other autistic students at UM,” Mebust said. “Talking about our own experiences and identity is something that I tend to do with any autistic person I meet. It’s something integral to myself and others that few can relate to, and UMAN was made to make the most out of that.”