Alyssa Mittiga

I thought I would share a story here at the Center that really demonstrates what our kids go through, as well as a highlight from another student. 

Many of our students come in with a mask of what society, teachers, family members and others have told them they are.  They most often are beaten down and deflated. Sadly, they have turned inward to protect themselves from further hurt and failure.  The truth is they all want to be seen for who they are and be loved imperfections and all.  I want to tell you about one student who created a strategy to forge ahead even with her immense obstacles.  As I explain, please recognize the labor of time in doing this that others just acquire with little to no effort. 

This is one of our older students, who like many described above was very guarded and drawn in when she first arrived. Many things happened to her.  First, she was aligned with the perfect tutor for her, another dyslexic, who fully understood her, and has five children of her own, multiple of which are also dyslexic.  The connection was amazing.  This young lady arrived with many strengths, but also gaping holes that were preventing her from flourishing.  She could spell a multisyllabic word but did not know basic vowel sounds.  Her strategy to succeed was to research words and memorize them in a unique and creative method.  New vocabulary was acquired by intense writing of the word repetitiously to create an artwork.  She created layers upon layers of one word written so many times that you would not really recognize it as layered words until someone told you and you looked closely at the artwork.    This artwork reminds me of the perseverance of an athlete trying to perfect themselves to become the best version even when odds are stacked against them.  Her drive and tenacity are commendable.  However, take two minutes to reflect on the effort that is needed by this young lady to achieve what others do not even think about.  They may need 4-10 repetitions to acquire that information.  The extra time she focuses on this repetition means that some other location in her life must be cut short because she cannot give all parts of her life the same effort. 

She is now learning and understanding the foundational skills, filling in her gaps and understanding how our language is built. She is learning upper-level morphology for a deeper understanding with less effort needed. 

Each of these components, her tutor being a great match, her drive and ambition prior to her arrival, her knowledge and tools gained by going through this program, have all been instrumental in her opening up.

It is so wonderful to watch these kids not only advance on what is most challenging for them, reading and writing, but blossom in their confidence and skills.  It is a privilege to view this growth firsthand and we are so grateful for the support that allows us to view these children and their accomplishments.