The Graduate

Seventeen years ago....I remember it like it was yesterday. Joe Carter of the Toronto Blue Jays hit a home run down the third base line and won the World Series. The 1992 World Series was the first Series ever with games played outside the USA. It pitted Toronto Blue Jays against Atlanta Braves. Pretty impressive right. Well don't get me wrong but the only reason I remember that Series was because I was in labour with my third child. That was one of the longest days of my life.

Now 17 years later that little baby has graduated from High School. Oh how time flies. School never came easy for my Roisin. She worked extremely hard. Roisin has Dyslexia.With her being my third child I knew something was wrong right from the get go. Roisin didn't know her ABC's before she started school, she wasn't able to spell her name and the letters she managed to print were often mixed up or backwards. Having educators in my family I used them as a resource. Part of the problem with Dyslexia is that the individual does not have an understanding of Phonemic awareness. It was such a struggle to get the school on side and have her tested. After many discussions with the school and frustrating homework nights Roisin was finally diagnosed with Dyslexia. At first she was getting a fair amount of resources from the school district but then that dwindled and we picked up the slack by getting her a tutor 4 days a week. That poor child would do about 10 hours of school work a day and progress was minimal. Her self esteem was dwindling and she was getting so frustrated. Her father and I finally took her out of the public school system and sent her to a school that was specialized in working with children who had Dyslexia. Roisin blossomed, it was an amazing transformation. By the time she graduated from elementary school she was able to stand up and give a speech that she wrote herself and recite it in front of a packed gymnasium of over 200 people. Needless to say her father and I couldn't have been prouder.

She carried this attitude on into high school. She worked hard, and because of her designation of learning disabled she was provided resources in High School. She fully participated in the school activities, like cheer leading, running clubs, gymnastics, and student advisor/mentor. She made the honour roll many times. She has been a very determined child and times when she wanted to give up she some how found the strength to push forward.

Roisin graduated from High School this past May and is enrolled in a Fine Arts Program at College come the fall. I couldn't be more proud of my baby girl. Through her struggles she has been my teacher and hero. We can learn so much through our children if we just take the time and to watch and listen and to be their advocate when we can.