Connor Gifford

CONNOR GIFFORD lives a full life in Nantucket where he works and volunteers for many organizations. He is a Board member of STAR, an innovative provider of services to children with special needs. He loves going to films and the theatre, collecting videos, and reading history.

“Through history we know that every character is different. As for my having Down Syndrome, it means that I have a gift. I thank God for having the opportunity to share my thoughts about our past, and my hopes for the future.” 

Right now,I am living on the island of Nantucket. My parents are Julie and Chuck Gifford. I have two brothers: Cameron who is 23 and Hunter who is 22. I am 26, the oldest, and I love my life! 

During my growing up years, we lived in Perrysburg, Ohio where I graduated from high school in 2002. Some subjects I did poorly in, like math and science. But, I succeeded in English, and my favorite of all, history.

It all started in 8th grade in my mid-teens.In history class, many kids were sleeping, doodling, and failing to make notes. And that’s the problem today. Kids are being taught with dates and timelines. They do not go to the past and say, “Oh, I know why they did this!” They can’t picture themselves back then.

But, I learned something from history. As I read on, and learned more, I felt that I was in their shoes. I like learning about America and people who really made a difference; who said, “Hey, here I am!” Ben Franklin, Harriet Tubman, Thomas Jefferson, Rosa Parks, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

It is important that all Americans understand that what happened in the past really matters. We have to learn from our mistakes.