In honor of April being Autism Awareness Month, we want to highlight the amazing accomplishments of one of our consumers!
Joe Hnath is 24 years old and is on the autism spectrum. His definition of success includes being able to have a job while still getting to do the things that he loves, such as acting and singing.
Previously, Joe struggled, especially in his high school years. Joe ended up doing a combination of online and in-person classes to finish out his high school education. Joe considers this his “low point”, but it was during this time that he was able to embrace his true passion of performing arts. He was given the opportunity to attend the Joey Travolta Film Camp for ESY. At this camp, he was able to perform in front of a camera which was something new for him and allowed him to make connections to other local organizations that he is still active in. Following high school, Joe attended Forbes Road Career and Technology Center where he received a certificate for multi-media and learned about using the Adobe Suite for digital art and film. He also took online classes for acting, dance, and musical theater during the Covid-19 Pandemic through Stage Right. Joe also participated in the LEND program at the University of Pittsburgh where he spent the school year learning about different types of disabilities and how to advocate for them.
Joe is still involved with Stage Right where he recently earned a role in Jersey Boys. He has performed on stage at the Palace Theater in Greensburg and The Lamp Theater in Irwin. He has also been very involved with Band Together Pittsburgh for the past 7 years. He has performed at the Blues and Roots Festival for the past several years. He has done several short films, student films, and now has his own team for the 48-hour film challenge after participating for the past few years as part of another team. He has done extra work for a couple Netflix shows that were filming in the area and has a production company in LA who is interested in him for a docuseries. Joe was selected to sing the National Anthem at a sold-out Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game in the summer of 2023. He also performed on stage at the Benedum for A Very Yinzer Christmas Concert in 2023 and will perform there again in 2024.
Joe was previously working at Spectro Dolce Confectionery. Recently, he saw that Tropical Smoothie had a sign that they were hiring and took it upon himself to apply for a job there. Joe interviewed and was hired at Tropical Smoothie, where he still currently works. Joe’s dream is to be a full-time actor but feels like he is successful doing what he is doing now while working towards his ultimate goal.
Joe’s favorite quote is, “If you can dream it, you can do it” by Walt Disney. Joe would want to tell others, “Don’t ever let your fears, or a diagnosis, or a label, or someone else’s opinion of you ever make you settle for anything less than what you want. You need to get out there and show the world what you are made of, and above all, ALWAYS believe in yourself!”
