Why I Love Grace! – Mason Dacus

“When I started high school, we discovered I was dyslexic, which was somewhat of a big shock to me. Through talking to professionals about it and counselors, it changed the way I think about not only reading but also learning in general. Coming into high school, you feel like you have a pretty good grip of how you’re going to learn. One thing I know, looking back on that experience, is that I’m very thankful for it because I had to persevere through it. I want to emphasize that flexibility is key when learning and there’s not just one style for everyone and there’s not even just one style for one person. Honestly, I’m so grateful for that experience because it made me a lot more mentally tough, and it taught me a lot of things about learning that I wouldn’t have had to learn otherwise.

I’m probably going to say the one thing that they don’t want to hear, which is you got to keep plowing through. I know it’s not fun. It’s the hard things that make you who you are. The number one thing I’ve tried to do in college, and I had to do it in high school, especially with my dyslexia, is that you want to set yourself up for the best opportunities. You don’t have to be at the top of your class. You don’t have to get all A’s, but you have to do your best. High school students may be struggling or plowing through the schoolwork, but you should be working towards a goal. You’ll find success eventually, but you have to set yourself up to attain it. You can’t start working once you see the end in sight or else you will never finish the marathon.

Grace taught me many learning strategies, and I feel like I was a little better prepared to learn than other students. Grace provided me tools to be flexible in order to learn in any college setting. Adaptability was such a great thing I took away from Grace.”

~ Mason Dacus, GCS Alumni