The Anne Ford and Allegra Ford Scholarships offer financial assistance to graduating seniors with documented learning disabilities who are pursuing post-secondary education.  Anne Ford and Allegra Ford Scholars are students who have faced the challenges of LD with perseverance, self-advocacy, and a commitment to achieving their future dreams.  Applications are now available for the 2011-2012 scholarships.

I have had an eventful first year at Stanford University!  College has allowed me to explore and pursue my interests and passions more deeply, especially computer science.

When Myspace was all the rage I enjoyed learning about HTML while personalizing my profile, and I was eager to learn what computer science was all about. I took Introductory Computer Science in the spring and enjoyed learning to program.  I also took courses in calculus, writing, Spanish, and music theory.

In my computer science class, I discovered a fantastic opportunity: Stanford’s Sophomore College in Computer Science, a two-week seminar in the fall where two professors guide students through a one-of-a-kind look into the world of computer science in the heart of Silicon Valley.  I knew right away that I wanted to apply.  I did, and I was accepted to the program.

Towards the end of spring quarter I was faced with a tough and unexpected challenge. The day before my birthday and one week before the start of final exams, I broke my left humerus in a bicycle accident. Of the options presented regarding how to proceed, the only one I wanted was to finish the quarter.

Fortunately, my finals had been scheduled to take place early in the final exams week, so I was able to postpone them a few days. I was very grateful for the flexibility of my professors and reminded of how lucky I am to attend Stanford. 

I am also lucky that my grandparents live about an hour and a half away from campus. Their help enabled me to focus on my studies and finish the quarter. Dealing with packing for the summer and medical appointments, preparing for finals while heavily medicated, and living in a dorm with a freshly broken bone has been the greatest challenge I have been faced with at Stanford.

This summer I took anthropology, Spanish, and a physics course at a local college.  Taking these courses during the summer gives me more freedom in choosing my classes at Stanford, so I have more opportunities to leave the door open to majors in my various interests. I am very excited for my sophomore year, and look forward to participating in Sophomore College and gaining a better sense of my interest in computer science.

Page was a 2010 Anne Ford and Allegra Ford Scholar.  Read her winning essay, “Turning my Invisible Disability into Visible Advocacy.”