Maggie shares that despite having dyslexia if she is struggling with something, she now has the confidence that she can do it. Just because she heard, “she can’t, she can’t,” through her early years of elementary school didn’t mean she couldn’t be successful.

People, who will go on to change the world, do more than demonstrate academic excellence.

Maggie is a high school junior who was unable to read until fourth grade because she was undiagnosed with dyslexia.⁣ She has never been one to let challenges get in the way of her goals. Despite having an older smart sister, who did not struggle academically Maggie’s family provided incredible support.

Maggie used these challenges to develop into a successful leader. #LeadershipDevelopment is needed for all students to reach their best potential - maybe just one step further than a test or letter grades which are often the first benchmark when assessing a student's education. But what's more important?⁣⁣

Believe in your potential and give yourself the credit you deserve. Not every decision is made with ease, and there's always a challenge to overcome. You can't reduce your leadership ability to just grades in education.⁣⁣ Grades shouldn’t define your child, and our education system shouldn’t be structured around such schoolteacher-centered, traditional grading scales. Grading encourages competition between our learners.

Maggie and I talk about how with the awareness of grades comes focus, and maybe it's time to rethink education. Could doing away with grades have an impact on a child's self-confidence and academic progress? Every learner has their own set of needs and struggles, and grades should never be the cause of one's negative self-image and esteem.

Can leadership and growth be developed through other means than traditional schooling? Maggie is so grateful for her path, but where might she be if she had been seen sooner, and not felt the pressure of the grade motivation?