This past couple of weeks I accomplished one of the biggest goals of my life. I graduated from New York University with a Bachelors in Music from Steinhardt with an enfaces in Music Theatre. This was something as a child I dreamed about. Attending NYU and living in New York City was the dream. I wanted to live my gossip girl life of brunch and live on the upper east side (upper west side is better in my opinion). In my mind it was only a dream for me, I struggled in school my whole life and a prestigious university like NYU would never consider taking someone like me.
When I was in elementary school I was diagnosed with a learning disability called dyslexia. Basically this meant that I learned differently. I was harder for me to pick up on basic concepts that most of my other classmates got right away. I was constantly spelling things wrong and taking the longest on the timed multiplication tests. Teachers would interpret this as me not trying hard enough or just being lazy, when actually I was trying my hardest. My brain didn't work the same way as others so not every teachers teaching methods meant everyone could learn the concepts. I was in tutoring in elementary school to help me learn the things I would fall behind on. No matter how hard I tried it just took forever for anything to stick. I had a teacher tell me if I didn't learn how to spell better I would be put in special ed classed. Who says this to a ten year old; I was devastated, I was a smart girl who just needed a little extra time and patience. Amongst all these people who did believe in me I had my biggest advocate, my mom. Without my mom I would't have been able to reach my greatest potential and pursue my dreams, despite what the naysayers would say. She believed in me when many did't. I would't be the woman I am today without her.
During high School I always felt like the stupidest kid in class. Everyone would understand everything and I would be in the dark. I got a D in math, barley passed French; because you should't ask a dyslexic person who can't spell in their own language to learn another and spell it perfectly, duuu. NYU seamed as though it would never happen. My grades were no where in the acceptance range and neither was my ACT. My junior year I worked relentlessly on getting a good score on the ACT so I could maybe be considered for another dream school Belmont.I studied for the ACT for countless hours and I took that ridiculous test 5 times (Spending 6 hours on it because I had extra time) only to get a 20 each time. I even when to a university to take it with hopes they would accept me. They later send me a rejection letter. At this point NYU seamed hopeless. I settled for a summer program after high school (to give me my Blair weldor feeling for 3 weeks) that eventually was a foot in the door. After spending a year at USU getting my self together and figuring things out I auditioned for NYU. After waiting for what seamed like an eternity to hear back from NYU, school ended at Utah State and I had no plan and no acceptance from any school yet. I began to make plans for the next year, when in late May early in the morning I got my acceptance. I was home alone crying and hyperventilating, trying to get ahold of my family. This was the start of my four year journey.It was my dream come true and I knew it was going to be the hardest thing I would do in my life.
New York University was one of the best experiences of my life. It challenged me mentally and physically. It helped mold me into the the woman I am today. It taught me how to learn, think, grow and how to be happy. I graduated with a 3.2 and that was better then I did in high school. I hope to be an example for others with learning disability and inspire them to not let that or anyone get in the way of reaching their full potential. Your learning disability is a supper power. You just have to learn how to use it. If you set a goal and pursue it nothing can get in your way.
XO-Meg
