My child is struggling 
Now that my child has 
Página 2 de 2
However, I did not accomplish such triumph without a combined effort from my parents and teachers. My parents were often frustrated because I was not making the progress other children were making and had to deal with my irritation because I did not understand why I was making very little progress. I am truly thankful for my mother—she was the one who first recognized that my learning difficulties could not be ignored. Although she was saddened by countless dollars and years of work with marginal results, she went to every length to provide me with the assistance I needed and strove to teach me I was just as good as anyone else.
I am fortunate that most of my teachers have been excellent. My eighth grade writing teacher, though, surpasses them all. Mrs. Foster encouraged and pushed me like no one ever has. She was by my side as I progressed not in leaps and bounds but with slow, minute changes. Once I started special needs programs, I repeatedly practiced phonics skills. These drills are tedious and require much patience. But we celebrated every word I mastered. Additionally, I remember writing my first mature paper with her assistance. I worked so hard on this paper, Mrs. Flowers, that to this day I consider the essay a piece of art. With her, my small steps became the leaps and bounds we all were hoping for. I believe for any student with LD to be successful, it is essential that parents, teachers and students conduct themselves with understanding and diligence. I am lucky to have such a community of people surrounding me.
The challenges I have faced were not easy, but rarely is anything worth living for. Embarrassment and frustration were no strangers, they did not come alone. Bags under my blue eyes were left from perseverance and the effort I exerted; the sweat on my pale skin was left from the motivation to always do my best; and the untamed kinks in my frizzy hair were left from the urge to be bold. I may look like your average girl, but when you take a closer look, I am the farthest thing from it. I used to consider my AD/HD and dyslexia shameful, but now I have
realized my disorders have made me a truly unique person who can do anything when I set my mind to it.
My passion has always been art and design. Therefore, I plan to pursue a career in industrial design at North Carolina State University. My hope is to use my creative skills to design medical equipment and assistive technology to help ease the hardships of people with learning and/or physical disabilities. As someone with LD, I hope to bring a new insight into the world of assistive technology and medical devices. I have written an article in The Trojan, my school’s magazine, explaining and advocating for LD. Moreover, The High Point Enterprise, the local newspaper, published an interest piece on my struggles and successes.
Now, the Anne Ford Scholarship will help to make my goals a reality.
