Abby's College Fund

I’ve kept a secret all of my life, feeling ashamed of it. I’ve hidden it from people, not wanting them to look at me differently because I wanted to be like everyone else. Unfortunately, it seemed like I was the only one who struggled in school. I had a speech impediment and was constantly being singled out to be put in those “special classes”.  Now I know that these challenges never defined me, they just made me stronger.

While in elementary school I was put into special classes. Then in fifth grade, the school wanted to put me in a special reading class again, but I was tired of being in those classes. So I told my parents I did not want to be in any more special classes. My parents called the school asking for me not to be in any of those classes, but they said “she tested into it”. I had no choice, I had to go to the special classes that I hated, where I felt like I was not smart. I always had to work harder. I didn’t understand the way teachers taught, so I had to teach myself in a way I understood. When I see certain words, my brain mixes up the letters, not knowing what it says. It’s like seeing a different language. That is when I knew something was different. I struggled through school with a speech impediment, getting pulled out of class all the time, being put in special classes, and had to go to speech therapy. Finally, after the long battle, I got out of those special classes.

Since I wasn’t in the special class anymore my parents had to find me a speech therapist outside of school. We found someone who didn’t make me feel different or worthless, but helped me build up my confidence, more than the school ever had. She then diagnosed me with a learning process problem.

     In sixth grade I was supposed to be tested for dyslexia but I didn’t want to be labeled and be treated differently. I would be put in more special classes. Everyone would know. I liked it when people didn’t know. In class people saw me as the smart kid, asking me for help. But I learned that by paying attention and doing what the teacher asked, like homework, I was able to look like the smart kid. I didn’t want that to change. In high school I took on this speech impediment by taking harder classes, getting good grades, and challenging myself.

   Growing up with a speech impediment made me grow as a person. I learned to embrace it and to take on the challenges life threw at me. This speech impediment doesn’t define me, it shaped me into the person I am today: strong and resilient.