Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities is delighted to announce the winners of the 2013 Fred J. Epstein Youth Achievement Awards, celebrating the outstanding accomplishments of students 19 or younger with learning disabilities and/or ADHD.

The 2013 awards will be presented at the organization’s annual benefit on the evening of Friday, April 26, 2013 at the Hyatt Regency in Old Greenwich, Connecticut.

2013 Fred J. Epstein Youth Achievement Award

Mackinzie Hamilton of Providence, UT is the winner of the 2013 Fred J. Epstein Youth Achievement Award. At 19, Kinzie is a student at Utah State University majoring in journalism and communications, as well as Assistant News Director of Utah Public Radio, an NPR station where she is a reporter, producer, and host of a popular news program. Her fierce drive and strong work ethic have helped her deal with the challenges posed by her ADHD. Kinzie has found her niche in broadcast journalism, where, as she notes, “the deadlines are concrete and unforgiving. At 12:30 you’ll be on live so you better be ready, because there’s no re-record button.”

Kinzie will accept the award via live feed from India, where she will be on special assignment with a photojournalist for National Geographic.

Special Recognition Award

The summer after 4^th grade, Alexandra (Alex) Sandlin of Vienna, VA, still unable to read a book after two years of intensive tutoring, found a new world open up to her through listening to books on tape. Not only did she succeed in repairing her self-esteem; she learned to embrace her dyslexia and also her creativity, developing a passion for photography. Two of her photographs have been exhibited at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, and she has won several national and international photography awards, including a scholarship that sent her on a weeklong photo shoot on the Rio Grande.

Through overcoming the obstacle of her dyslexia, Alex, now 17, has learned to believe in herself. “Dyslexia is part of who I am and will always be with me,” she says, “but now, it is my friend—not a disability.”

Junior Achievement Award

Sky Burke discovered very early the importance of advocating for herself.

Struggling with dyslexia and dysgraphia, she created and presented a PowerPoint at her 3^rd-grade IEP meeting, and has never looked back–advocating successfully to use an iPad (the first in her school district), and presenting for several Long Island organizations, including a keynote address before an audience of 450 people at a regional self-advocacy conference. For four years, she received the Principal’s Award at her elementary school for her hard work and dedication to her education, and now, at 11, is a 6^th-grader at the Sequoya Middle School in Holtsville, NY.

Honorable Mention Awards

Nicholas Eastman

Seventeen-year-old Nicholas “Nico” Eastman of Montgomery Village, MD has found his home 1,500 feet above the ground, where the joy he finds in flying airplanes has been critical to his academic and personal success. Diagnosed early with dyslexia, he began building battery-powered model airplanes and after one ride in a Cessna, he was hooked. He passed the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airman Knowledge test, a key step in obtaining a private pilot’s license, and reports that the self-confidence and strong sense of personal responsibility necessary for piloting a plane have helped him deal with the challenges he has faced in his personal and academic life. “I was able to find joy and fulfillment in flying an airplane,” he reports, “and this joy has permeated all aspects of my life.”

Casey Johnson

“Illiterate.  It was a label given to me at six years old by the Gretna Elementary School psychologist,” Casey Johnson of Battle Creek, NE says. His story is a lesson in believing. With the help of his family, dedicated teachers and understanding friends—and inspiration from the Smart Kids with LD website and its Honorary Chairman, Henry Winkler—Casey shrugged off the labels given to him to become a successful athlete, role model, and academic leader. Now 18, he is a four-year, three-sport  winner in wrestling, football, and track and field at Battle Creek High School. Elected to his school’s Trailblazers, who serve as role models to younger students, he is also a member of the National Honor Society.  He never allowed himself to be labeled by others, and the labels he has chosen for himself were earned.

Andrew Katz

Andrew Katz of Weston, CT says it wasn’t until he reached high school that he began to see his learning disorder as a source of motivation, rather than a barrier. Developing a keen awareness of his disability, he learned to do what was needed to overcome it and most important, to advocate for himself. Once he tasted success, he was addicted.  Now 18 and a senior at Weston High School, he is a straight-A student currently taking three AP classes, secretary of his high school class, and a member of the National Honor Society. He founded Katz Productions, a videography company, and was chosen as an intern for U.S. Congressman Jim Himes. He has taken on additional leadership roles as president of his school’s television network and co-president of the Weston Television Network, a local cable channel.

Raquel Shortt

With the help of her family, her doctor, teachers and counselors, Raquel Shortt of Bowie, MD took an eclectic approach to dealing with her ADHD, finding strategies that did not include medication. Raquel studied yoga to improve her self- discipline and concentration. She took clarinet lessons and sang in the choir to increase her attention span and focus, as well as her memory and self-esteem. She learned to play chess to improve her analytical skills and strategic thinking. A fine athlete who served as co-captain of her school’s undefeated volleyball team, she believes that sports have helped improve her self-discipline and leadership skills. Successfully harnessing her ADHD has also allowed Raquel, 17, to participate in a demanding science and technology magnet program, where she has won several science fair awards.

Tommy Thelen

Struggling through grade school and middle school with ADHD, dysgraphia, and dyslexia was not easy. There was the continual stress of reading out loud, stammering through each twisted word.  But in high school, Tommy Thelen of Sioux City, Iowa decided to take charge. He was voted into leadership positions in the National Council of Youth Leadership, Student Council, the Mayor’s Youth Commission, Mission Club, Junior Mentor Club, and as captain of his cross-country track team. He became an anti-bullying advocate, due to his own earlier experiences, and was chosen to attend the Iowa Governor’s Bullying Prevention Summit.

Performing well academically in high school with the support of his family and teachers, Tommy, now 17, will enter Briar Cliff University in the fall, the first member of his family to attend college. He plans to study nursing to care for others with the compassion with which members of his family have been treated.

Connor Wright

Connor Wright of New Hope, PA has struggled with ADHD throughout his life, making it difficult to pay attention in class, complete assignments, read books, and engage in conversation.  Despite struggling both emotionally and mentally, he graduated from high school magna cum laude with a 4.0 GPA, received a National Merit Commendation, and was a member of the National Honor Society. Now 19, Connor is a freshman at New York University.

His proudest achievement, however, was accomplished on the stage. It was through his acting that Connor overcame his disability and learned to use it to his advantage, channeling his hyperactivity and impulsiveness into spontaneity and energy on the stage.   The director of his high school theatre program recalls his “brilliance on the stage, his calm and understanding demeanor with others, and his confidence in the spotlight.”  Current students in the theatre program, she says, “still talk about Connor, the legend.”

The co-chairs of the 2013 Award Committee are Molly Van Wagenen of Darien, CT and Kristine Stoker of Pound Ridge, NY. Both are parents of smart children with learning disabilities.

Melissa Rey, a former Smart Kids Youth Achievement Award winner, is among this year’s top 4 Buick Achievement winners, earning a 4-year scholarship worth $25,000 a year.

Last year Buick awarded 1,100 students from around the country a total of $4.2 million in scholarship funds. The awards are given to students who are making a difference in the classroom and the community and who show extraordinary leadership and passion.

Among this year’s Top 4 Buick Achievers, earning a four-year scholarship worth $25,000 per year. Last year Buick awarded 1,100 students from around the country a total of $4.2 million in scholarship funds. The awards are given to students who are making a difference in the classroom and the community and who show extraordinary leadership and passionRey, who was diagnosed with dyslexia in first grade, is no stranger to such recognition. As a 14-year-old, the Missouri native was named the nation’s Top Young Scientist by the Discovery Channel 3M Young Scientist Challenge, following a final grueling two-day competition at NASA’s Goddard Space Center.

As a top finisher in this year’s Buick competition, Rey becomes one of the four “faces” of the scholarship, and is highlighted on the Buick Achievers Scholarship Program page.

We invite you to watch the video that Melissa made for the Buick Achievers press release here: http://www.videoatgm.com/videos/us/en/gm

Related links:

Melissa Rey: 2010 Youth Achievement Award Winner (link to 6.2.4)

Smart Kids with LD Youth Achievement Award Winner Calls Dyslexia Her “Secret Weapon”

Learning Disabilities: Do They Impact ACT Scores?

Thanks to all of you who responded to our recent survey asking for your help in making Smart Kids more relevant to you and other parents of kids with dyslexia, ADHD, and other learning disabilities. We’ve tallied up your responses, and here’s what you told us:

• You’re a diverse group. The most common diagnoses reported were dyslexia and ADHD, but there was a wide range of others including dyscalculia, nonverbal learning disorders, auditory processing disorders, sensory processing disorders, and dysgraphia.
• The ages of your children range from preschool all the way through college and beyond.
• Most of you find our newsletter to be upbeat, parent friendly, and easy to understand. That’s been our goal from the start, so we’re happy to see you agree.
• You are hungry for information! At least a third of you raised your hand for more articles about every single topic we suggested. (Keep in mind that our website has a great search function. If there’s a particular topic you want to find out about and you missed it in the newsletter, try searching using key words).
• Most requested: more tangible, action-oriented articles on treatment and interventions, assistive technology, and the latest news and research.
• You want more articles that focus on the specific ages of your own children.
• You want meetings in your local area. We hear you! We would love to be right there with you, but right now, our resources limit our ability to do that. The most cost-effective way for us to reach you is through our newsletter and website, where we will provide guidance for community-level advocacy efforts in our Guide to Action.
• You’ve asked for a more interactive experience with Smart Kids. We’re exploring ways to add video and expand our presence on Facebook and other forms of social media. In the meantime, we encourage you to interact with each other through comments on Our Blog.
• Most of you have been active with parenting a child with learning disabilities for two years or more.  We’re glad that you’ve stayed with us and that we’ve been able to provide information and support along the way. But we want to reach more parents who are just beginning their journeys into the world of learning disabilities and attention disorders. So if you hear of a friend, neighbor, or relative whose child has just been diagnosed, please pass our name along or forward a copy of our newsletter!

We’re already working to implement the changes you’ve suggested.

The two winners from our random drawing have been notified and have received their gift certificates.

As we do our best to keep the things you like and make improvements based on your feedback, please remember that as a non-profit organization we rely on donations. Your contributions help us serve you better. Thank you!

Each year Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities recognizes students that have achieved success in spite of – or because of—their learning disabilities. The winner of the 2011 Youth Achievement Award is Ryan Haggerty, 17, of Stamford, CT who will be honored for his determination in overcoming a severe reading and language disability to succeed academically, as an athlete, and as an inspiration to other students with significant learning difficulties.

Haggerty decided early on that he would not let his learning disabilities get in the way of his achievement, including his passion for hockey. As a high school junior, he served as alternate captain with the Under-17 US Hockey Team, winning the World Challenge in January 2010. On April 24, playing in the International Hockey Under 18 Championship, his team defeated Sweden in overtime to win the 2011 gold medal. He will graduate from Ann Arbor’s Pioneer High School and will attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute next fall.

Two students will receive Special Recognition Awards: August Hunt of Paris, TX, a sophomore at The Kildonan School for students with LD in Amenia, NY; and Jacklyn Sullivan, 16, of Wantagh, NY who is a junior at General Douglas MacArthur High School in Levittown. Click here to read the story of their accomplishments.

Honorable Mention awards will be given to Mackinzie Hamilton of Providence, UT; Abigail Johnson of New York, NY; Spencer Kerivan of Kettering, OH; and Hayden Elizabeth Sharpe of Winston Salem, NC.

Smart Kids is celebrating the close of a milestone year with a terrific opportunity. A group of major donors have created a $50,000 Challenge Grant to enable Smart Kids to continue to expand the user-friendly, parent-centered information available on its website at www.SmartKidswithLD.org. The grant will also provide funding to reach out to more families struggling with the devastating effects of learning disabilities and ADHD.

The Laurence W. Levine Foundation, joined by Smart Kids’ Board of Directors and an anonymous donor, have committed $50,000 to the Smart Kids Challenge: 2010. These funds will serve to double individual contributions to Smart Kids with LD, dollar-for-dollar, up to the total pledged amount of $50,000.

This generous grant will provide for Smart Kids to continue its work putting children with LD and ADHD on the road to success: By empowering parents via Smart Kids’ website and e-newsletter launched in 2010. By encouraging parents to understand that these children are smart, and can succeed. And by providing a Guide to Action helping parents to become effective advocates – as well as offering practical advice and emotional support from those on the front lines: Other parents.

Donations made by January 15, 2011 will contribute toward earning the $50,000 Smart Kids Challenge: 2010 — and will help “throw a lifeline” to many more families of children with LD and ADHD.

We’re pleased to announce the launch of the 2011 Smart Kids with LD Youth Achievement Award, recognizing a student with learning disabilities or ADHD for outstanding achievement. The $1,000 award will be made to a student 19 or younger who has demonstrated initiative, talent and determination resulting in a notable accomplishment in any field including art, music, math, athletics or community service.

Parents, teachers, coaches or students themselves are invited to submit an application for the 2011 Youth Achievement Award (select “Nominate a deserving student” to download the information and application form). The contest deadline is February 15, 2011. The winning student will be expected to attend the award ceremony at the Stepping Stones Museum in Norwalk, CT on May 13, 2011. Transportation and hotel accommodations will be provided for the student and his or her parents.

Honorable Mentions will also be awarded, although attendance will not be required.

This award recognizes the strengths and accomplishments of young people with learning disabilities and ADHD–strengths that too often, are not acknowledged as attention is focused instead on their weaknesses. However, as many experts confirm, developing these children’s abilities is a key factor in helping them succeed. The remarkable accomplishments of many candidates for the Youth Achievement Award each year demonstrate these children’s tremendous potential, when they receive the support and confidence of their parents and teachers.

Read about the 2010 Youth Achievement Award winner, Melissa Rey. Information on the 2011 winners will be posted on the Smart Kids website.

GreatNonprofits has launched the 2010 Disability Awareness Campaign, in partnership with GuideStar and a number of major organizations addressing disability issues, including Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities. The goal is to identify top-rated nonprofits in this area – and we’re asking you for your help!

Tell us about YOUR experience – and how Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities has impacted your family. Your participation helps identify the nonprofits affecting change in our communities through efforts aimed at learning disabilities, as well as other kinds of disability services.

Visit http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/profile2/smart-kids-with-learning-disabilites-inc. To write a brief review: Under “Share your experience” on the left-hand side of the page, click on Write A Review, then share your comments.

Benefits:

• Recognition: Every organization that gathers 10 or more positive reviews during the month of October will make the GreatNonprofits Top-Rated Disability Nonprofits List.
• Community Engagement: This is a great opportunity for nonprofits and their community members to interact and engage directly.
• First-person stories: Clients, volunteers, donors and others share with the public, in their own words, how this nonprofit serves its community. Nonprofits can use this resource of powerful and authentic stories to engage donors and volunteers.

Deadline: October 31, 2010

Last year’s campaign: In 2009 over 450,000 people read reviews of thousands of nonprofits at www.GreatNonprofits.org – written by donors, volunteers, board members and by the general public. These reviews are also visible on GuideStar.

So please take just a few minutes to write about your experience for this year’s campaign!

Other partners in this campaign include ABILITY Magazine, American Association on Health and Disability, CURE International, Disabled World, IndependenceFirst, Exceptional Parent, and United Cerebral Palsy.

We’re calling all kids to get off the computer, turn off the TV and sign up to read every day during the month of October. The first annual Smart Kids Read-A-Thon challenges kids to set aside time each day for reading beyond schoolwork, while supporting Smart Kids with LD’s work empowering parents of the estimated one in seven children with learning disabilities.

As Henry Winkler, the much-loved actor, director, and author of the Hank Zipzer children’s book series puts it, “Reading is like brain food—it makes you smarter!” Check out his invitation to join the Read-A-Thon on the website’s home page.

Each child’s reading goals are set individually with parents’ input, to ensure that the 50% of kids that have difficulty learning to read can get involved, whether they read alone, with a parent or use audio books. We want to be sure every child can get beyond the difficulties of reading for school and discover the joy to be found in books, while also helping other children by signing up friends and family as sponsors.

Everyone will have access to lists of books recommended by experts that are guaranteed to engage kids’ interest from elementary through high school—from Jeff Kinney’s “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” to the final volume in Suzanne Collins’s “Hunger Games” series.

The money raised through the Read-A-Thon will support Smart Kids’ work promoting research-based reading instruction, that makes it possible for almost all children to learn to read. As Dr. Margie Gillis, the prominent reading expert and President of Literacy How notes, “Research has demonstrated that the more your child reads, the greater the effect not only on his vocabulary development and the store of information he can access, but also on the cognitive processes that promote academic success.”

Each child who participates in the Read-A-Thon will receive a Smart Kids with LD bookmark listing famous people with learning disabilities, and will also have the chance to win one of five autographed books from Henry Winkler’s Hank Zipzer series.

So join the Reading Revolution and register for the Read-A-Thon today—we start cracking the books on October 1^st!