After years of academic struggles, Wade discovered the tools for his success in a classroom far away from the traditional red brick building.
Wade Hawkins is a determined 22-year-old living in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He grew up in Atlanta where for years he struggled in school to achieve success and self-confidence. Diagnosed with mild to moderate hemiplegia (cerebral palsy) at 6 years old and a learning disability at age 11, Wade bounced from school to school searching for the right combination of teaching method and motivation to get him on track. It wasn’t until he found himself in the wilderness for a semester that he began to understand that success is more than scores and grades, it’s a journey that begins within.
KE: What were your biggest struggles growing up? What were your toughest challenges in the classroom?
WH: It always took me so long to understand a concept, if I understood it at all. No matter how patient teachers were, I always felt slow and stupid because it would take me three times longer than anyone else to catch on. Reading was hard but math was the most challenging. My brain just couldn’t wrap itself around the concepts. Trying to work with teachers who weren’t motivated to adapt to my learning differences created struggle upon struggle. Teachers who don’t understand the nature of learning disabilities are less willing to make the adaptations. They perpetuate the myth of “the lazy child” which just intensifies the problems.
KE: What is your earliest memory of struggling in school?
WH: Though I struggled before, I was in 6th grade when it became clear to just about everyone that something was wrong. That’s when I was officially diagnosed with a learning disability. KE: Did your struggles ever cause your self-esteem to suffer? WH: When you are constantly feeling like you don’t measure up, of course you begin to doubt yourself. Changing schools almost every year since age 13 made it hard to make and keep friends, and after awhile you just feel like you have nowhere to go. Though it’s advice many parents would not want their kids to hear, one of my teachers offered me some words of wisdom. He said, “Remember that a ‘C’ is average, and average is good.” Those words always stuck with me through the years and helped me remember that academics was only one part of me as a person, and success is not measured only in the highest scores and hyper-achievement.
KE: Can you describe your social struggles in more detail and tell us what you think was at the root of those difficulties?
WH: Depending on the type of school I attended, it could be very hard to assimilate into the student population. Some students could be very physical and/or teasing which is intimidating. Sometimes it’s easy to “catch” the attitude of the students and I would become less motivated. I seemed to always be the youngest in whichever grade or program I was in.
KE: How did your challenges change as you progressed through elementary, middle school and high school?
WH: My struggles with math intensified as the coursework grew more complicated. I would study a problem, work it out, and then a few minutes later I’d forget the steps to working out another problem just like it. Testing became more complex and intimidating. Sometimes the school would allow supports (longer time, individual proctor, etc.) and sometimes they wouldn’t. Sometimes the program was too structured, sometimes it wasn’t structured enough. It’s frustrating to feel that there’s only one way to show success at school and that you just can’t catch on to it.
KE: Were there any particular interventions or teaching methods that helped you make gains academically?
WH: Participating in the SOAR (Success Oriented Achievement Realized) program fall semester of my 8th grade year was a positive turning point for me. SOAR is an outdoor, high-adventure program in North Carolina. This program helped develop my self-confidence, something that was always lacking in the classroom. I was already proficient in outdoor skills, and SOAR allowed me to use that proficiency to learn organizational, time management and leadership skills. Since the course involved some academic work, I did receive school credit. More important, I learned how to motivate myself to accomplish my goals. I gained the confidence to ask for what I needed and to persevere when I needed to ask more than once. These qualities stayed with me when I returned to the classroom.
After SOAR, I tried yet another school, Ben Franklin Academy, that I hoped would meet my needs. Fortunately, this school offered the flexibility and creative educational thinking that would help me. This school had a work/study program, and so I would go to school for half a day and be “out in the world” the rest of the day. There was a very low teacher to student ratio. Testing was less of an issue since several of my teachers would allow me to take oral tests instead of written ones. I did miss some of the traditional high school culture that this school didn’t have like athletic teams and proms, but overall it gave me what I needed to learn and succeed.
KE: Did you feel prepared to go to college after graduating from high school?
WH: In many ways I did feel prepared, though it was important to choose a college which could accommodate and work with my learning differences. I attended Warren Wilson College in North Carolina. From the beginning I explained my learning differences and what I would need. Lyn O’Hare, an LD specialist at Warren Wilson, became an invaluable resource and friend while I was there. She was so committed to my success, but I had to do the work. While my high school did not necessarily prepare me to attend an Ivy League school, it did prepare me to set realistic goals, work hard, think outside the box, and approach learning from all angles. I chose Warren Wilson College because they were interested in who I was as a whole person, not just as an academic student.
KE: What advice would you give to parents of children who struggle with learning challenges?
WH: I would encourage parents to help their kids be proactive. Teach them about their learning difference and make sure they know what they need in the way of supports and adaptations with traditional learning materials. Encourage those skills and activities your child is already strong in, and let that be the foundation where they learn how success feels. Be aware of opportunities beyond the classroom in which your child can succeed. Being allowed to take a semester off and take advantage of the SOAR program was a life-changing experience for me. There are a lot of great resources out there now for kids who are struggling such as tutors, specialized therapies, school specialists and educational advocates.
KE: What advice would you give a child who is struggling in school?
WH: I would encourage students to be determined to succeed. Remember that success is measured in many different ways, not just grades and behavior. Also, ask for help and support before you become overwhelmed. Be honest and up front with teachers about what you need, and don’t give up if you don’t get instant results.
KE: Is there anything that you would do differently or think should have been done differently for you during your childhood education?
WH: You learn so much from your struggles, and I appreciate what I’ve learned, so it’s hard to say what I would do differently.
KE: How do you define success at this point in your life?
WH: There are many ways I define success for myself at this point. I am proud of my degree in social work from Warren Wilson College and all the hard work and determination it represents. I won the Alton F. Pfaff Award which is awarded to the graduating senior who most exemplifies work, study and service standards. This was such an honor because it was awarded to me by my peers. Success brings a lot of self-satisfaction, but it’s also nice to have your hard work be recognized by those around you. I also define success as having goals to work toward. I am currently training for a shot at a position on the U.S. Paralympic Biking Team. Even if I don’t get a spot, I will see myself as successful for just having taken advantage of the opportunity to try.
Kids Enabled would like to thank Wade Hawkins for sharing his story with our readers. Wade is available to speak at school/youth groups and can be reached at wadetheblade44@gmail.com
RSS feed for comments on this post.
TrackBack URI
