By the end of 5th grade I was convinced I could not learn. My teachers seemed to think that because I was born hearing-impaired I somehow could not really be helped. Further, they often appeared frustrated if I asked for help. As you can imagine I did not like school, felt inadequate as a person and knew I’d never be “smart.”

Thankfully, my parents decided to enroll me at H.E.L.P. Miami. Right away I noticed a difference. My teacher took the time to make sure I understood what I was studying about. I was encouraged to ask questions, too. (In my earlier school asking questions could get you into trouble.)After just a few weeks at H.E.L.P. Miami I had more confidence and felt better about school. My first quarter test scores were up and for the first time in my life I enjoyed reading. I literally started reading books at family dinners and at sleepovers with friends.

Part of the school’s curriculum was a series of courses that taught me good study habits. Through these courses I learned how to study and pin-pointed why I struggled before. I did a course on study habits, one about dictionaries and a course on grammar. I had the most fun on a course about communication where I had to face another student without laughing. (The whole class ended up laughing, but we worked through all the drills.)

The school helped me tremendously and I still use the study methods I learned. I am now in my second year of college studying to be a speech therapist. I look forward to a long career helping others. Thanks to H.E.L.P. Miami, I know I will achieve this goal.