‘Don’t ever give up! Just be yourself!’—Meet Ryngin Garcia

By Kami-Leigh Agard

As we close out April as Autism Awareness Month, there’s a distinguished gentleman, 35-year-old Ryngin Garcia, a board member of Rockaway Beach Autism Families (RBAF), who deserves his flowers. April is named from the Latin word, “aperire,” meaning: “to open.” And Garcia has opened countless hearts, including mine, to what it means to be resilient, steadfast and loving as not just an advocate for individuals with disabilities, and their families, but also as a true friend. Even more significantly, Garcia is on the autism spectrum, and has mowed through formidable barriers in pursuing higher education degrees—an associate’s degree in mathematics at Kingsborough Community College, and a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics at The City College of New York. Plus, all the while he has held down various part-time jobs through grants with Birch Family Services, an organization advocating for securing employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. As he stated in a 2023 Fox 5 NY (WNYW) news segment: “Employees with autism find life-changing jobs at New York businesses,” Garcia advised, “Just keep going! Don’t ever give up! Just be yourself. Look at what happened to me! And you can do it too.”

Social media can be a double-edged sword. However, it’s through the far-reaching impact of Facebook that Garcia, a Brooklyn resident, working in Manhattan, discovered RBAF. I never forget the day in 2023, when he walked into one of RBAF’s monthly family support group meetings. In a dignified manner, he stood up and introduced himself. “My name is Ryngin Garcia. I’m from Brooklyn, and here to learn more about your organization and how I can help.” And folks, from day one, Garcia has been boots on the ground with RBAF. He became such an active member that I invited him to be on our board. Fast forward to today, he’s always a familiar face at all of RBAF events, including our Autism Awareness party this past Sunday, April 26, at Rockaway Beach Pickleball & Golf.

Garcia’s family is from Honduras. Though he speaks both Spanish and English, he shared that math has always his best subject. “I like numbers. Though I don’t want to be an accountant,” he laughed.

While at City College and struggling with paying for tuition, through NYS Education Department Adult Career and Continuing Education Serves ACCES-VR, he was referred to Birch Family Services for employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

ACCESS-VR assists individuals with disabilities to achieve and maintain employment and to support independent living through training, education, rehabilitation, and career development. (For more info, visit: https://www.acces.nysed.gov/vr).

And through Birch Family Services (https://birchfamilyservices.org)—a leading provider of education, employment, and community support services for individuals with autism and developmental disabilities and their families in NYC—Garcia has acquired quite a few employment opportunities through short-term disability employment grants. The nonprofit teaches just about everything, including cooking, how to do laundry, money management, social interaction, writing a resume and commuting.

At Birch, Garcia currently works as a part-time training assistant and also previously worked as a clerical assistant. And through Birch, he secured work as a full-time crew member at Shake Shack, which participated in the grant program to hire individuals on the autism spectrum.

Also, through a grant, today, Garcia works at Wonder, a company for foodies that handles everything in-house—from menu, to cooking, to delivery. He said, “From taking orders, helping in the kitchen to cleaning—I love helping anywhere I could. Most people don’t like to be working late at night. But I love being part of a team and helping everyone.”

Ryngin gives credit to his mom as a source of inspiration. “My mom is a strong woman,” he said. “What I learned from her is, ‘Sometimes in life it gets harder. But always stay positive regardless of the obstacles. Be resilient, and always take the right path.’ And for me, it’s about working and advocating for others with disabilities.”

As for advice he would give to individuals and families with disabilities, he said, “You just gotta keep pushing and applying. Don’t stop. As I learned from my mom, ‘When one door closes, another door opens.’”

To view Garcia’s segment on Fox 5 NY, visit: https://www.fox5ny.com/news/birch-family-services-new-york-businesses-employees-with-autism

For more info about RBAF and upcoming events, visit: Rockaway Beach Autism Families on Facebook/Instagram. Rain date for RBAF’s 4th Annual Walk on the boardwalk—TBA.w