NORTH ANDOVER, MASS. (WHDH) - A North Andover teen living with autism is refusing to be boxed in, coming in fourth at a national pizza box folding competition with the help of a local pizzeria.
Andrew Chartier has been folding boxes at Stachey’s Pizza for the past four years as part of a program for special needs students at North Andover High School.
“He’s very focused when he comes in, he says ‘Hi,’ grabs the boxes, he knows right where they are,” said co-worker Narissa Moriarty. “He comes in and he does his thing.”
And during that time, his skills have gone from beginner to expert. Last month, he finished fourth in a pizza box folding competition put on by the U.S. Pizza Team.
Kristyn Chartier, Andrew’s mother, said the opportunity to participate in a major competition was a big confidence booster.
“As a special needs mom, you don’t really get to see your kid get to really compete. And he got to really compete,” Kristyn Chartier said. “And he was really proud of himself and we were all just over the moon.”
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