Seth Bennett poses with his prom date, Kalean Heath, who offered to go with him after he wore a sign to school which read "If you want a date for the prom, call me Seth, I need one."Photo of Ginny Harrison

Seth Bennett is not a guy who lets much in life get him down – even autism.

Though the brain development disorder affects Seth’s ability to communicate clearly and focus as easily as his peers, he will graduate from Pendleton High School next month with honors.

One reason for the teenager’s success is his buoyant optimism.

This spring, for instance, Seth decided he wanted attend prom for the first time ever. To lure a date, he fastened a sign to his shirt that read, “If you want a date for the prom, call me Seth, I need one.”

He walked into school that day sure his plan would work. His mother, Ginny Harrison, worried about him, fearing rejection.

Seth arrived home and cheerfully informed her he’d gotten refusals from 25 girls. He wore a huge smile.

“I am wearing it again tomorrow,” he told her.

Harrison inwardly cringed, thinking he could be in for crushing disappointment.

The next day, he arrived home, his face lit up in an even bigger grin. Kalean Heath, a freshman, had walked up to Seth and offered to be his date. Kalean said she simply felt it was the thing to do.

“He needed someone,” she said, “so I decided to do it.”

When she offered to be his date, Seth smiled brightly and asked her name. On prom night, Kalean accompanied Seth to Denny’s before the dance and good-naturedly posed for photos.

Life wasn’t always so peachy.

Harrison’s world had imploded the day she discovered Seth had autism at age two.

“It devastated me,” she said. “My son could not talk, use the bathroom on his own and do the things others kids do.”

She remembers Seth behaved so aggressively in his kindergarten class that he spent most of his time sitting in a chair in the corner. In elementary school, the school often summoned her to come and pick up her out-of-control son.

About age six, Seth faced the break-up of his parent’s marriage and he, his mother and sister Jodi moved into a new home. The changes sparked turmoil within Seth.

“I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown,” Harrison said. “He was up all night, yelling – no one got any sleep.”

She credits a whole team of incredible people in various organizations from the county and state for Seth’s gradual turnaround, along with the Umatilla-Morrow Education Service District and Kerri Swenson, Marcia Walters and others at the Pendleton School District. She praised husband Ron Harrison, Seth’s sister Jodi and Ron’s mother “Grandma” Jackie Roland for unending love and patience.

Swenson, a special education assistant at Pendleton High School, said Seth has a gift for memorization. When Seth arrived at PHS, she said, he easily recited all the U.S. presidents, countries in the world and other data and trivia with little prodding.

“At that point, he had all of us named by states,” Swenson said. “I was Georgia because I was ‘always on his mind.’ That lasted for a whole year.”

These days, he stores away statistics of his favorite athletic teams and his wardrobe mainly consists of team jerseys and hats. Recently, he sported a Boston Red Sox hat with a green Green Bay Packers jersey since he loves Brett Favre, former Packer quarterback.

“He broke a lot of records – most touchdowns of all time and most passing yards,” Seth said.

Since first entering high school, Seth has learned how to interact better socially. He even campaigned for vice-president of his sophomore and junior classes and won.

Harrison is brought to tears sometimes when she sees how Seth’s classmates greet him around town.

“The young men and women from PHS always acknowledge Seth with a high five or a ‘Hey Buddy, how are you doing?'” Harrison said.

She urged people to treat special needs individuals with friendliness and respect.

“They may be like Seth, walking around and looking normal – they may be in a wheelchair or making strange sounds …,” she said. “Stand up and say hello to them – it makes all the difference in the world.”

Seth noticed his classmates’ friendliness since hitting high school.

“Before, nobody hung out or talked to me,” he said. “Now, lots of people do.”

Seth navigated his senior year without much extra help from Swenson and other special education assistants.

“When he got comfortable, I weaned myself away,” Swenson said. “This year, he’s been on his own.”

Swenson continues to check in regularly. Each Thursday, the duo has a standing date at the skate park and then Dave’s Chevron for a soft drink.

On June 6, Swenson and Seth’s entire family will watch, and maybe shed a few tears, as Seth graduates with his class, wearing a National Honor Society cord with his cap and gown. He will attend Blue Mountain Community College in the fall and hopes to work in the restaurant industry.

Harrison now has new insight as she looks back at the day she learned of Seth’s autism. “I thought my world had ended,” she said, “but, in fact, it was just beginning.’