As a dyslexic student with learning disabilities, I have had many difficult experiences with teachers and educators who weren't patient and didn't understand how to work with me. As a young student in elementary school, I had a teacher who would skip past my questions when I couldn't find the right words or if my sentences came out jumbled. She would dismiss my question and go on to another student instead which made me feel incredibly defeated. I remember this particular teacher telling me I would never make it to 5th grade and that I was a lazy and manipulative student. Nothing could be further from the truth, I was simply a severely dyslexic who struggled to communicate! I remember shutting down completely and not participating in class as a result. My parents were incredibly supportive however and helped me to get diagnosed properly (dyslexia, dysgraphia and ADD) which helped me to get the support I needed through the Special Education program in school. My life changed when I met my special education support teacher Mrs. Mavris. She was incredibly patient with me, taking the time to help me find ways to study and learn with dyslexia. She spent time with me when I needed it most to help me get through a class or a specific assignment. She was my rock throughout elementary, junior high, and most of my high school career. She is the reason I am as confident and successful as I am today (3.75 GPA). Sadly, we lost Mrs. Mavris to cancer this year and it was devastating to me. I will never forget her kindness, patience, and support. I have benefitted from the gift of patience, and have learned just how important it can be for others who may be facing similar challenges.

Hello! My name is Jodi Keener and I am a senior at Tompkins High School in Katy, Texas. I have been an active student with the Future Farmers of America (FFA) club as an animal raiser for all four years of high school, raising rabbits, pigs, and a steer. I also volunteer for the special needs rodeo each year. I'm a certified welder and I play on the Varsity girl's golf team for my school. I was just accepted to my number one college choice, Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas. As a dyslexic student, I was hoping to attend a small campus with a lower student-to-teacher ratio and I was very fortunate to be accepted. While I did receive some financial assistance, I know that my parents and I need to cover another $20,000 each year in tuition and living expenses. I have been learning about the value of money in my financial math course at school. I've also listened to podcasts with my mother about the importance of working hard to save money and earn scholarships to help pay for college expenses. I've learned the interest charged on student loans can take many years to pay off and this prevents young people from being able to save for important things such as an emergency fund or even the purchase of a first home. As a result, I've been working a part-time job as a teacher's aide at a local daycare center, assisting teachers with their students, many of which are special needs kids. I enjoy this job as I feel really good about helping young children to learn. I work nearly full-time at the school during the summer months as well. The majority of my earnings from my job are going into my college savings account. I have also been working very hard to network with potential buyers for the animals I am raising this year as a part of the FFA program. I have put a lot of work into raising my two animals, going to the barn before and after school for feeding, and spending weekends training them for progress and rodeo shows. You wouldn't believe just how difficult it is to teach a pig and a steer to walk and pose a certain way for the judges! Pigs are nervous and steers are stubborn but I am making progress and I will not give up! I am writing letters each week to new potential sponsors and I am hopeful my networking efforts will result in some additional funds I can use towards my college expenses when my animals go to auction for purchase. When I attend college next year, I am hopeful I can work part-time with my welding certification to earn funds while in school. There aren't many girls in this field but I'm good at it and there are plenty of farms and businesses in the area where I will attend school. Lastly, I am applying for at least 2-3 scholarships per week in the hopes that I can earn some additional funds. I truly want to live my life as debt-free as possible so I am able to do more with the money I earn from my first job once I graduate from college. I also want to be able to show other students still in high school that with hard work and perseverance, you can get through college debt-free even if you don't have money saved to cover all of your college expenses.

"Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve" is the mission and code of ethics of the Future Farmer of America (FFA) organization. I have served in FFA all four years of my high school career in Katy, Texas and this mission is very important to me. In FFA, students are taught responsibility and accountability by learning to raise, care for and show animals. It requires a lot of hard work and long days as we are up early in the morning and late at night to care for and train our animals. We also help each other accomplish difficult tasks by working together as a team. The most fulfilling part of being in FFA is the opportunity to serve and help others. I have had the opportunity to volunteer for the special needs rodeo where I am partnered with a young adult with severe learning or physical disabilities. The joy this experience brings these young adults is something that makes me incredibly happy. I have also had opportunities to help local farmers and other students within my group with livestock care. I feel very comfortable serving others and often volunteer whenever the opportunity is available in school, at work, or within the FFA organization. My goal is to pursue a career in agricultural science where I can help farmers in my community be more successful and efficient with their farming and livestock production and I feel my experience living and working within the FFA mission will help me be successful with my future career.

For my senior year math course, I chose "Financial Math" because I wanted to learn more about how to be responsible with my finances to avoid debt. I've always been worried about how to pay for college and didn't understand much about student loans. I felt choosing this course would be extremely helpful as I am about to make a final college selection and will need some financial assistance to pay for tuition, room, and supplies. The most important lesson I've learned in this class is about the cost of money. I have learned that it's best to work hard, pay cash for items you can afford, and to avoid loans if at all possible. My parents have taught me to look for used items first before buying new ones and not to buy something if I don't have the cash or can't afford it. If a loan is needed, it's important to research the interest rate which can be different depending on where the loan comes from. As a senior in high school with a car, I've had to work hard as a part-time teacher's aide to pay for my gas and insurance. I don't want to waste my hard-earned money paying more interest on a loan than is needed. As a result of what I've learned, I am taking my time to research student loan options to ensure I am getting the most out of my loan and reducing the cost of money. This has been the most practical math course I have ever taken, far better than calculus and more practical for everyday life. I highly recommend this class for other high school seniors looking to make better financial decisions in preparation for college and for life after college. I am blessed to be in this class!

I have learned to love how determined, confident and resilient I am. As a high school senior with severe dyslexia, I wasn't always this confident. I was often ridiculed and mocked as a young student. I was also hurt by other students and even teachers who believed that I was just being difficult and lazy. I was extremely frustrated with how difficult it was for me to learn in the same way as other students. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to attend a special cognitive skills school to help me find new and different ways to learn that worked especially for me. As a dyslexic student, I have always had to work harder than others. This has made me stronger and more determined than ever to be successful. Despite my disability, I have a 3.7 GPA which I am incredibly proud of. My work ethic is also very strong and I have learned to be resilient. I have also found that I have a unique way of viewing things from a different perspective than most. While I used to hate the fact that I was different, I have learned to truly appreciate the determination it has given me now. I am also very proud of the fact that my dyslexia has helped me to be more outgoing and hands-on. I have become a large animal raiser and volunteer in Future Farmers of America and am also a certified welder. I am also a varsity golfer and have been able to hold a part-time job as a teacher's aide throughout my junior and senior years in high school. I have learned how to be successful, confident, and responsible as a result. I am proud of my dyslexia and all that I have been able to achieve!