Louis, MO where I attended the Hazelwood school district/ special school district. The words and letters I saw did not make any sense as I was not seeing what my friends saw. You cannot imagine how it felt to not be sure you were seeing words and letters in the correct order. I was devastated. I was evaluated without my parents permission and subsequently diagnosed with dyslexia. Due to my diagnos
is, I repeated the second grade. I was heartbroken and felt left out of my class activities when I went to the resource classroom for help. Despite feeling left out of class activities, I pushed myself to succeed. I listened, paid attention, and practiced the techniques the resource teachers taught me. When I got to high school, I had learned how to advocate for myself and I was determined to be enrolled into general classes. My resource teachers were very encouraging and due to their ongoing support, I developed techniques and habits that allowed me to work my way back and enter general level classes as a senior. From my own experience, I knew I wanted to help other students with special needs and change the narrative that just because someone learns differently, we should not discredit nor limit their potential. I attended a four-year university where I received a BS in Human Development and Family Studies. I did my internship at a blended school, which reinforced my thinking about, blended classes within the school. I was employed by the St. Louis Special School District, where I held the position of a Behavior Specialist for several years. The culmination of my own experiences in school, college internships, and working for the Special School District, drove me to follow my dream and open my own blended learning academy.
