Young Achiever Award Winners
The winners all showed outstanding achievement in their day-to-day life to help overcome their difficulties. Read about their stories below.
Young Achiever Award Joint Winners
Harry Jacob Sharrock, 10
At the age of eight Harry was diagnosed with dyslexia, dysgraphia and coordination difficulties. He started to disengage with school and he began to dread going. He was teased by other children and, at one point; he stopped talking in class. It was a horrible time. Eventually after 18 months he was statemented & his school did put in support. Around the same time, Harry met Henry Winkler. He was a fantastic role model, this really changed Harry’s attitude to his dyslexia. He completed a sponsored climb to fundraise for the BDA. He also got through to the British climbing final. At such a young age, Harry felt strongly that other children with dyslexia should not have to go through the same horrible experiences. There didn't appear to be any child-friendly information. He found that lots of adults were talking about him but not to him. He wanted things to change. He came up with the idea to set a website up for kids. Throughout the school holiday he worked relentlessly to improve his IT skills learning web-design & created www.dudeswithdyslexia.co.uk. Harry launched it during Dyslexia Awareness Week 2009. Harry doesn't think he has done anything special stating "I just wanted to help other kids". Best of all he now loves school and his reading is improving.
Neil Cottrell, 22
My spelling's terrible. At school I needed my friends to read everything to me. It would take me so long and very few words would ever be spelt right. But I was determined to overcome my difficulties, and last year I graduated from Cardiff University with a first-class degree in psychology. Now I spend my time working to help other people cope with their dyslexia. At school and university I completely relied on assistive software. But even with assistive software, I couldn't get my ideas down because I was always half-thinking about spelling. So I developed my own software. It automatically corrected my spelling as I typed. I've always been keen to raise the profile of dyslexia. When I was 12 I organised assemblies to tell everyone about dyslexia. After graduating last year I set up my own company so that my software could be used to help other people with dyslexia. I want to keep supporting the dyslexic community. I want people to know that they're not alone, that even though it's hard there's support out there. Most importantly, I want to show people that, dyslexic or not, you really can achieve anything.
Runner's Up
Megan Stewart, 14
Megan aged nine, was unable to read her own handwriting. It had affected her self esteem and confidence. She embarked on a Davis programme.
Megan has achieved a great deal in the last four years including;
- Achieving a ‘B’ in GCSE Science taken two years earlier than would be expected with no additional time or reader present
- Avidly reads, a massive leap from four years ago and what seemed like a lifetime of ‘Biff & Chip’ books!
- Has worked for a year as a volunteer with the ‘Buddy Scheme’ (helping children with disability experience life by supporting at events and days out).
- She was also successful in securing a place at Plumpton College to undertake a Higher Diploma in Land Base & Bio-diversity Studies, but has decided to keep her subject options open as she wants to become a teacher!
Megan has achieved when it would have been all too easy to give up or become negative about the thinking style that is Dyslexia.
David Ashby, 20
David Ashby, a second year student on the B.A. Hons Archaeology Practices Course at the University of Winchester. David has known he has severe dyslexia since he was in year four at school. His results in Key Stage 1 SATs were the lowest possible. This made him very cross and frustrated as orally he was well above his peers. At about the age of nine he was tested and severe dyslexia was confirmed. However, by sheer hard work and support from his parents and dyslexia tutor he succeeded in overcoming his difficulties and gained a place at the University of Winchester. Archaeology has been a consuming interest for David, from when he was very young. David comes from Southmoor, Oxfordshire. At Prior Farm, Stanford in the Vale, he is working on an archaeological excavation, which will form the basis of his Dissertation in his final year. As a scout leader David has also taken scouts on archaeological digs, passing on his enthusiasm. David hopes that knowing of his success will encourage younger students/pupils with dyslexia to know it is not the barrier it at first seems.
Alan Turner, 23
Alan is severely dyslexic has been attending the Leicestershire dyslexia workshops since he was nine. Despite his difficulties Alan has trained as an engineer, and works in jobs using skills such as lathing. He has contributed hugely to the workshops since becoming an adult. Alan has also used his considerable knowledge of dyslexia and technical knowhow to help at Education Shows, drawing together groups of delegates and lecturing them using his experience to understand his difficulties and how he has overcome them. Life has not been kind to Alan, his father was killed in a road accident when he was quite young, yet despite such a setback Alan has grown up to be a very likeable young man who is prepared to put aside his difficulties and contribute so much back to society.
