Last fall, one of our Summer 2016 campers, Lauren Ringwood (seen above) spoke before the Spruce Pine Rotary Club about dyslexia and her experience at camp. Lauren agreed to share the content of her speech here. We thought our friends would enjoy reading her eloquent words.
Hello, members of Spruce Pine Rotary Club, my name is Lauren. I am nine years old. I am in the 4th grade at Gouge Elementary. And I am dyslexic. You all have probably heard of dyslexia and may even know a little about it. But what you don’t know is, it is actually a GIFT!
Yes... I might struggle with reading, writing, and spelling, BUT, you best believe I will be the leader in problem solving, athletics, and spatial awareness...just ask my Uncle Reid. He says I’m the best golf cart driver around!
After all, I belong to an elite “club” that includes people like Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and my personal favorite, Channing Tatum.
This past summer I was given the opportunity, through scholarship, to attend Camp Spring Creek in Bakersville. I got to meet campers and counselors from all over the world. Camp Spring Creek was founded in 2003 by Susie and Steve van der Vorst and is one of three residential summer camps in the US for children with dyslexia.
I spent lots of time with my tutor, Betsy. The tutors at Camp Spring Creek are all trained in Orton-Gillingham, which, my mom says, is a multi-sensory approach to learning. All I know is reading, writing and spelling are easier now.
Besides learning, I got to do some pretty cool stuff... I got to build a table in wood shop, design my own t-shirt at the art barn, go on creek hikes...where I discovered how badly stinging nettles really do sting, and eat some of the best food you have ever tasted!
I am thankful for them because Camp Spring Creek has given me the confidence to love learning again. Some people see dyslexia and its limitations, but my teachers, my mom and the rest of my family constantly encourage me to put all those “limitations” to the test.
Thank you for letting me speak to you today. If you would like more information on dyslexia or Camp Spring Creek you can check out their website campspringcreek.org.
Lauren's mom Jessica has kindly offered to help us with our local scholarhip fund so that students in the students in the counties near Camp Spring Creek can enjoy the same benefits that Lauren did during her summer. You can donate to that fund here. Look for Jessica's moving letter about her daughter's experience soon!
