Ashton's hope

COEUR d'ALENE — Ashton Clark stood in front of hundreds of students at a refugee camp in Rwanda last month and began describing how faith, family and education transformed his life.

A translator allowed the 23-year-old Coeur d'Alene resident a few seconds to ponder his next thought. Clark, who has autism, had never given a formal speech before, but said he was proud of himself for taking the time to ensure he was hitting the key points of his message to the students at Gihembe, a refugee camp filled with thousands of individuals displaced by decades of conflict in Central Africa.

"I remember telling them, 'If you ever feel troubled and someone tells you that you cannot do what you set your mind to, or that you'll never make it, know that in Ephesians, God promises that He can do far more abundantly in your life than you could ever imagine,'" Clark said. "The point I come across with this verse is if you want to become more, then you have to do more."

When he was 13, Clark said he became curious and asked his mother about why he was the way he was. He said he was isolating himself from a lot of his peers at school and, when he would speak, his words would come out weird.

That was when Clark learned he had been diagnosed with autism at an early age.

"It kind of opened my eyes a little bit," Clark said.

Clark said he began understanding why he was always doing one-on-one tutoring as a child. The understanding brought about a realization — Clark's parents had been trying to help him grow and develop critical skills he would need to be successful in life.

"You can't cure autism," Clark said. "But you can understand that autism can either be a strength or a weakness to your life — you have to choose one or the other."

Although he said he had to force himself to move beyond his tendency to internalize and isolate, Clark began noticing a change. He was happy that he was engaging in social activities with people he said want him to lead a successful life.

Clark's parents were at the center of the transformation, pushing him to play sports and learn the valuable social lessons that go along with them. He said he embraced the challenges placed in his life, particularly while going through high school at Lake City Junior Academy.

During his sophomore year, Clark said his teacher, Nathan Kay, worked with his mother to set him up for success. They imparted a philosophy of "I can do this" on Clark that he said gave him the motivation to accomplish his education goals without any special help or private tutoring.

"That was one of the best years I had because of that push," Clark said. "It gave me the extra discipline I needed to push forward."

The newfound growth, along with a renewed faith in God, encouraged Clark to take on new experiences and continue to educate himself, he said. He wanted to understand other cultures and what it's like to live in a developing country.

Clark said he got his chance to work in Rwanda through an organization, Impact Hope, that has worked to provide education to the thousands of refugee children being housed in Rwanda. One of the leaders of Impact Hope called him, Clark said, and asked if he would like to go to Gihembe to work with the students.

"I was just wanting to be a Godly example to them and let them know what it's like to live a life of success," Clark said.

On March 6, Clark flew to Kigali, Rwanda's capital city, and said he was immediately struck by how beautiful the city was. Before traveling to the camp, Clark said he had a chance to visit the Kigal Genocide Memorial to learn about those who lost their lives in 1994.

"It hit the heart," he said. "Seeing close friends and families who had been slaughtered, I was just really shocked with how that came to be."

At the camp, Clark said he and the rest of his team were constantly surrounded by excited children who were eager for encouragement. Impact Hope sponsors 206 students, he added, and Clark was able to select one of the students, Joseph, who would receive the funding needed to complete his education.

After interacting with Joseph, and learning that the 17-year-old had lost his mother in the 1994 genocide, Clark said he began to discuss Joseph's dreams and ambitions.

"He had told me his vision on how he wanted to empower Congo by becoming president and leading with Godly leadership," Clark said. "This kid was full of heart and passion. He really wants to bring hope and peace back to his homeland. He wants to make a change and I was like, 'This is the kid I want to help' because he's got this huge vision."

On one of the final days of the trip, Clark said more than 600 students gathered to hear him speak at a special event.

"I told them my personal story and about what it's like to achieve hope," he said. "You can achieve hope through temporary things, but I told these kids the number one source of hope is God."

Clark graduated from Lake City Junior Academy in 2011, and said he is on track for a fall graduation date at North Idaho College. Following graduation, he plans to go to Boise State University to continue pursuing his goal of becoming a sports physical therapist.