Come Read about My Awesome Journeys through Life

Hi, my name is Brianna Silva; I am nineteen years old and I am from Wilmington, North Carolina. I am currently a freshman at Appalachian State University. I have a learning disability when it comes to reading, writing, and math; I am just like a normal human just struggling with certain things. Growing up, I really didn’t know what I had; I could do everything. Whenever my teachers would start having parent-teacher conferences, my teachers would bring up to my mom that I might have a learning disability. That is when it was decided to put me in another class to see if the extra help was what I needed to be successful. But when it came to school, that’s when it started to hit me that I might need more help. Around first or second grade, they started having me go to a separate class to help me with the subjects that I struggled with; this happened all through elementary school once they saw I needed help. When I made it to middle school, I would always have two normal classes and then two separate classes that would help me as well. Going into high school, I would have English, math, science, and an elective class; some of my classes would be a lot different from regular classes. The classes would be smaller and less hard so that the teachers could really take the time with each student so that we could be successful. When it came to quizzes and tests in the classroom, I would usually step out because I would need a modified test. My college experience is going pretty well, and I met some really great people already. My classes have been going pretty well, all things considered, all online, which is kind of hard sometimes. I like how in the Scholars with Diverse Abilities Program (SDAP) they have assistant supports that help you with your schoolwork, etc. I have explored some areas in Boone, and I am trying to find more places to explore with my friends. I want to let people know that if they have a child or know someone with a child that has some kind of disability and if they are looking for some colleges to make sure their child is getting the right help in college, in my thoughts I think they should come and visit Appalachian State University because they have a really great program and they will make you feel loved and cared for.

From my personal point of view, I was always accepted, I was never left out of things. Everyone saw me for who I am and not my disability and that made me happy inside because they treated me like any other high school student. My advice to whoever feels left out of things or who is different from others is don’t let that affect you and the person you truly are and that you are never alone because everyone is different and nobody is perfect.