2026 – Amelia Church – Lehi High School HS

From Weakness to Resilience

I read the words over and over, but nothing sticks. The teacher gets frustrated with my many failed attempts, I feel pressured to do better. I was top of class just a year ago, yet now, something changed where nothing made sense anymore. The books we read became more difficult, the things we learned harder to understand. I couldn’t keep up. I left school crying every day. The teacher didn’t know how to help. I couldn’t blame her, not many people know about dyslexia.

 My parents saw me start fifth grade as a happy, smart kid who did very well in school to someone depressed and struggling. They were desperate to help. One facebook comment, that’s all it takes for them to find the solution to the problem. A neighbor we never talked to messaged my dad under a post he made about my struggles. She was vulnerable with her experience with dyslexia, sharing her struggles to a stranger, which changed my life. She told us about a dyslexia center, tutoring that teaches in a special style for dyslexic kids. My parents got me immediately and I began training with them. I met amazing teachers that changed my life for the better, they taught me in a way I’ve been taught before. My eyes felt opened after years of being blind. I began to grow in confidence with each lesson, not just reading but everything else in my life. I began to read more, growing a passion for writing and being able to express myself. I began to make more friends, using what I learned from my struggles and reading to help me form deeper connections with people.

I walk life with grown confidence. I still struggle and don’t understand everything right away. In fact, I may struggle for a long time. But I’ve gained resilience from my experiences with dyslexia. I learned that not every learning method is for me, but I can’t just give up immediately, or at any point, I must keep going, keep learning.  And I must keep helping others just like those who helped and never gave up on me by sharing my experiences.