When I Was A kid, I Couldn’t Tell The Difference Between The Letters “B” And “D”- Says Lady Who Had Challenges In Reading While Growing Up, Now A PHD Holder

A lady named Ama Bemma A. has shared her career journey as she reminisce on those times she couldn’t read and write as a little girl.

The good news is that, she’s now a PhD holder and an assistant professor.

Sharing the lengthy post on LinkedIn, she wrote:

testimonytuesday #testimony

When I was a kid, I couldn’t tell the difference between the letters “b” and “d.” I remember the reading specialist telling me to remember the word “bed” and that the letters corresponded with the sound.

I remember receiving extra support for my reading and writing. during one of my sessions, I read the first line from left to right, and then, somehow, tried to read from right to left on the subsequent line as if the direction of reading curved across the page like a snake or a winding road.

When my mother woke me up super early on a school day to finish book reports or writing assignments, or when my dad would spell out the words of things around us while we drove through town, I doubt anyone would’ve thought that I would be getting a PhD in Literature and English a decade and a half later (although my mother loves to add that God makes all things possible). From that moment until today, I have been blessed to continue doing what I love.

My parents drove me to writers conferences as a teen, they picked me up from after-school literature clubs; basically, they saw what I enjoyed doing and encouraged me and gave me the tools to excel at it. I am here because of them.

This weekend, I celebrated commencement at Cornell University!
This #PhDjourney is not done alone. I’ve had people support me every step of the way. I’ve found mentors and friends. I’ve delighted and relished in books. I wrote a whole dissertation! I taught literature in classrooms, and I’m delighted I’ll get to continue doing that as an Assistant professor of English.

All of this is possible because of others. I am overwhelmed with joy, still achingly tired (my right eyelid has been twitching non-stop ever since I completed my dissertation), but I am #PhDone, and I couldn’t be happier.