The Succeed Scholarship has made a significant impact not only on our child but on our entire family. My son, Jackson, has dyslexia and severe speech delays. While attending public school, he was reading significantly below his grade level and fell through the cracks with no indicators or suggestion for testing to understand his imminent diagnosis. We are diligent with out-of-pocket therapies and reading tutors, but the biggest impact is credited to the Succeed Scholarship. The scholarship enabled us to move him to a much more nurturing environment that immediately addressed the need for further intervention to address his disabilities.
While he was in public school, he was lost in the shuffle of over-crowded classes and while he had an IEP for services, they were shared with multiple other students and his progress was limited. He was bullied while he was there because he was unable to correctly pronounce his name. It is heartbreaking to have a child not understand why he is different than others and they throw rocks at him and spit in his glasses at recess. A child should never endure this emotional and physical abuse. They deserve the opportunity to get the help they need to excel beyond their disabilities and maximize their abilities.
This scholarship has allowed him to get the 1:1 intervention he desperately needed in a supportive environment where he is thriving and is much more confident academically and socially.
The Succeed Scholarship ensures parents can choose the most appropriate environment specific to the needs of their child. This underserved population rely on advocacy to provide an equal playing field for educational success. I will continue to advocate for Jackson and others like him that rely on this Scholarship as a bridge to the environment necessary for him to thrive academically and develop the confidence necessary to succeed in life.
– Cheryl, parent