0:00:09.185,0:00:14.266
I can remember the first time[br]I realized something was wrong.

0:00:15.245,0:00:20.197
I can remember the first time[br]I was told I have dyslexia.

0:00:21.555,0:00:23.996
I can remember being[br]in first or second grade

0:00:23.996,0:00:27.563
when my teacher pulled me[br]off the hallway into a small classroom.

0:00:27.563,0:00:31.418
She sat me down and she put[br]five magnetic letters on the board.

0:00:31.418,0:00:36.799
And she said: "Piper read this to me.[br]What do these five letters say?"

0:00:36.799,0:00:41.003
And I looked at it, [br]and I kept staring at it, and I said:

0:00:41.003,0:00:43.486
"I'm not really sure what that says."

0:00:43.486,0:00:48.569
She said "Okay, that's okay,[br]but that's your name."

0:00:49.713,0:00:52.873
I remember this feeling[br]like it happened this morning.

0:00:52.873,0:00:56.091
I can assure you my face went beet red.

0:00:56.091,0:00:58.989
I was beyond embarrassed[br]that at that very moment

0:00:58.989,0:01:03.223
I couldn't even read my own name.

0:01:03.223,0:01:06.109
I can remember in the following year[br]when my Mom picked me up

0:01:06.109,0:01:08.224
from the house[br]where I went for tutoring.

0:01:08.224,0:01:10.078
The tutor came outside and said,

0:01:10.078,0:01:12.916
"Mary Beth, I need you[br]to work with Piper on sequencing.

0:01:12.916,0:01:15.982
She's still not understanding[br]what makes up a dollar.

0:01:15.982,0:01:20.379
Here's four quarters just sit her down[br]and keep singing the dollar song."

0:01:20.379,0:01:23.305
So as soon as we got home[br]we sat at the table

0:01:23.305,0:01:25.630
and we said it together[br]four or five times.

0:01:25.630,0:01:29.643
Twenty-five, fifty,[br]seventy-five, a dollar.

0:01:29.643,0:01:32.441
And then it was my turn [br]to repeat it back.

0:01:32.441,0:01:35.452
Twenty-five, fifty --?

0:01:35.452,0:01:40.874
Piper, twenty-five, fifty,[br]seventy-five, a dollar. Try again.

0:01:41.450,0:01:45.066
Twenty-five, fifty --

0:01:45.349,0:01:47.094
Piper it's just four things.

0:01:47.094,0:01:50.993
Twenty-five, fifty,[br]seventy-five, a dollar.

0:01:51.388,0:01:53.817
I can remember how[br]having dyslexia affected me

0:01:53.817,0:01:56.263
from Elementary School to Middle School.

0:01:56.263,0:01:58.397
I can remember being under the impression

0:01:58.397,0:02:01.799
that I had to master certain[br]aspects of school and overcome this.

0:02:01.799,0:02:04.322
I thought it was the only way.

0:02:04.322,0:02:07.670
From first grade to eight grade[br]I was taken out of normal regular classes

0:02:07.670,0:02:10.127
to be taught in a different way.

0:02:10.127,0:02:14.119
In fourth grade I was told I wouldn't[br]be able to take a foreign language.

0:02:14.119,0:02:16.063
In sixth grade[br]I was told it was essential

0:02:16.063,0:02:20.674
to master my multiplication facts[br]in order to continue.

0:02:27.267,0:02:30.453
I did everything I could to try[br]to graduate out of these programs

0:02:30.453,0:02:32.131
they were putting me in.

0:02:32.131,0:02:34.246
I knew I couldn't learn[br]like the rest of you,

0:02:34.246,0:02:38.839
but all I wanted to do was be in[br]the normal conventional classes with you.

0:02:38.839,0:02:42.524
But as I sat there in my pink dress [br]and flowered headband,

0:02:42.524,0:02:45.619
I just didn't want to be different.

0:02:45.619,0:02:48.933
I can remember fighting[br]to get out of these classrooms.

0:02:48.933,0:02:51.055
My parents helped me[br]in every way they could

0:02:51.055,0:02:55.182
to get me educated outside[br]of the Cape Elizabeth School System.

0:02:55.182,0:02:59.233
I was repeatedly IQ tested because[br]my results didn't make sense.

0:02:59.233,0:03:03.338
It would come back in Superior Excellence[br]in numerous categories.

0:03:03.338,0:03:06.001
It really just came down[br]to the fact that my brain worked

0:03:06.001,0:03:10.067
in completely different ways than others.

0:03:10.067,0:03:14.475
Come eighth grade, I saw one[br]final doctor for one final IQ test.

0:03:14.475,0:03:19.412
And his only conclusion,[br]give the girl a calculator and a dictionary.

0:03:19.412,0:03:22.365
After about a dozen meetings[br]with my parents, teachers,

0:03:22.365,0:03:25.789
instructional support advisors[br]and even the administration

0:03:25.789,0:03:29.939
I finally heard[br]exactly what I wanted to hear,

0:03:29.939,0:03:33.402
As long as you maintain[br]your grades and advocate for yourself

0:03:33.402,0:03:37.526
you can graduate[br]from the Instructional Support Program.

0:03:37.526,0:03:40.734
Even when I graduated[br]it's not like this all just went away.

0:03:40.734,0:03:45.534
Every single day I'm reminded[br]that I still have dyslexia.

0:03:45.918,0:03:50.027
For example, this summer I worked[br]on the food truck, Mainely Burgers.

0:03:50.027,0:03:53.238
Being the cashier and taking[br]people's burger orders.

0:03:53.238,0:03:58.669
I spelled onions "U-N-I-O-N-S".

0:03:59.661,0:04:01.713
And it wasn't until about[br]three weeks later

0:04:01.713,0:04:03.739
that the boys finally started to say

0:04:03.739,0:04:06.736
"Piper, did he want[br]unions on that burger?"

0:04:06.736,0:04:08.219
(Laughter)

0:04:08.219,0:04:12.610
Or, "Piper, did Mary order a large[br]union ring or a small union ring?"

0:04:12.610,0:04:14.495
(Laughter)

0:04:14.495,0:04:16.794
Sometimes I call my best friend Chelsea,

0:04:16.794,0:04:19.448
ask her how to spell[br]one word and hang up.

0:04:19.448,0:04:23.518
Spell Check never knows[br]what I'm trying to say.

0:04:23.518,0:04:27.464
And my SAT scores.[br]Those were fun.

0:04:27.464,0:04:31.617
When the May SATs rolled around,[br]I took them once with no prep

0:04:31.617,0:04:35.577
and my scores came[br]back and I got a 1350.

0:04:35.577,0:04:39.416
I immediately called my Mom, [br]my Dad, my brother

0:04:39.416,0:04:42.702
and cried to them about my 1350.

0:04:42.702,0:04:48.574
Not one school I was looking into[br]accepted scores remotely around a 1350.

0:04:48.574,0:04:51.859
So for the second SATs[br]I did two hours of prep

0:04:51.859,0:04:56.002
three times a week[br]with a one-on-one tutor for a month.

0:04:56.002,0:05:00.211
And my scores came[br]back and I got a 1350.

0:05:00.211,0:05:03.775
Thirteen fifty was my destiny.

0:05:03.775,0:05:06.288
And most recently I was writing a letter

0:05:06.288,0:05:09.233
to thank a college professor[br]for meeting with me.

0:05:09.233,0:05:11.962
Just about four or five sentences.

0:05:11.962,0:05:14.668
I wrote them once[br]on a sticky note, revised it.

0:05:14.668,0:05:17.856
Wrote it again on[br]a sticky note, revised it.

0:05:17.856,0:05:20.976
Then I circled words,[br]which looked like they were misspelled,

0:05:20.976,0:05:23.069
and Google searched them.

0:05:23.069,0:05:26.278
Then I wrote the letter in pencil[br]on the card, wrote over it in pen.

0:05:26.278,0:05:31.337
That was the process it took[br]for just four to five sentences.

0:05:32.364,0:05:37.784
I used to put so much time and energy[br]in trying to overcome my dyslexia.

0:05:37.784,0:05:40.760
But when I arrived at High School[br]enough was enough.

0:05:40.760,0:05:44.107
I realized it wasn't going to be important[br]for me to master thing like

0:05:44.107,0:05:47.298
my multiplication facts,[br]my ability in a foreign language

0:05:47.298,0:05:51.017
and figuring out why I couldn't[br]comprehend these books I was reading.

0:05:51.017,0:05:53.557
What was important[br]is that I found what I loved to do

0:05:53.557,0:05:56.853
and strengthened what I enjoyed.

0:05:56.853,0:05:59.927
I found so much enjoyment in working.

0:05:59.927,0:06:02.781
I worked at my Mom's furniture store,[br]I babysat,

0:06:02.781,0:06:06.349
and I even volunteered [br]on the Cape Elizabeth ambulance.

0:06:06.349,0:06:08.759
I found enjoyment in organizing events.

0:06:08.759,0:06:10.912
Helping to create[br]one of the most memorable proms

0:06:10.912,0:06:15.128
and even helped plan the event[br]that you are sitting in right now.

0:06:16.258,0:06:22.322
And most recently, I found that my[br]creative brain is the one that suits me best.

0:06:22.322,0:06:28.344
This past summer I completed 250 hours[br]of artwork at the Maine College of Art.

0:06:28.344,0:06:30.625
And when I arrived for my senior year,

0:06:30.625,0:06:34.684
I dropped math, science[br]and a foreign language.

0:06:34.684,0:06:39.716
I found my passion[br]and at this very moment I'm pursuing it.

0:06:39.716,0:06:43.247
Next Fall I will be attending[br]Savannah College of Art & Design

0:06:43.247,0:06:48.014
majoring in Accessory Design[br]and minoring in Business.

0:06:48.014,0:06:51.781
My challenge for each of you today[br]is to find what you love,

0:06:51.781,0:06:54.876
find what you enjoy and pursue it.

0:06:54.876,0:06:59.033
Work hard, eat well,[br]and fall in love with everything.

0:06:59.033,0:07:00.315
Thank you.

0:07:00.315,0:07:05.868
(Applause) (Cheering)