President of Roanoke College, Frank Shushok, shared his experience with dyslexia and motivates students
ROANOKE COUNTY, Virginia – Last year, Frank Shushok became Roanoke College’s 12th President.
He says that would surprise the high school student in McKinney, Texas, who thought he couldn’t do well in school.
Shushok talked to students at North Cross School about his experience with dyslexia and some of the lessons he’s learned.
“I just made it through high school. Really. “I just barely finished high school,” Shushok said at a student meeting. “During the summer after my sophomore year of high school, I took two classes over again because I had failed them the year before. I thought I wasn’t smart for the first 17 years of my life. I thought I was stupid in my head.”
Shushok went to North Cross on Monday morning. He toured the Roanoke County campus and learned more about the CrossWalk Program, which has helped students with language-based learning disabilities for the past ten years.
He talked about the people in his life who helped him change, get a new way of thinking, and have faith in himself.
“Enter Gail Pack and Keith Christian, two handsome teachers. They could see what I couldn’t: that I wasn’t dumber than they were. They could tell I had already given up. I had bought into the idea that I wasn’t smart, which I had been building up for years. They talked to me. They followed me. They gave me a challenge. “They made me answer for what I did,” Shushok said. “I paid attention to them for some reason.”
Students from North Cross who have used the CrossWalk program said they could relate to Shushok’s situation.
So, we asked what they thought.
“Don’t let it make you who you are,” said junior Blake Shaner. “It’s not something you can always get past, but you can learn from it and grow from it. Use it to your advantage, not as a disadvantage.”
“Just go in if you need more help. Senior Ethan Dalaski said, “It’s not that hard.” “It’s a little, but the biggest problem is getting over the fact that you have to go in after class. It’s not that bad, either.”
Ava Dalaski, a sophomore, added, “I’d say don’t give up because things get a lot better.” “Like he said, all you have to do is find people who will support you and care about you.”
And Frank Shushok can follow that advice.
Shushok said in an interview, “The next thing we know, we’re going to be surprised by what life has to offer us if we can step forward with a little bit of bravery and courage and be open to those who care about us in ways that affect us.”
