My name is Avari Brocker. I am a leader, an advocate, a changer maker, and a girl with severe dyslexia, dysgraphia, and sustained responder ADHD. My journey like everyone’s has been unique and full of challenges that have shaped me into the person I am today. I grew up in Montessori school my whole life until I went to high school, and during that time I knew I was different from everyone else, but I didn’t yet know I had a disability. For my whole life my struggles didn’t have a name. I knew I was terrible at reading and spelling, but the flexibility of Montessori allowed me to accommodate myself in order to still succeed, but feeling dumber than my peers without having any reason really damaged my self esteem. 

When I started getting homework in 7th grade my struggles were put on blast. I spent hours and hours doing homework every night and still had late assignments. I felt lazy even though I knew I was doing my best. I was scared to go to high school because I knew the workload was only going to increase. I knew I needed accommodations, but at that point, I still didn’t know what was “wrong with me.” I got an eye diagnosis for slow tracking (which I now know was a symptom of my dyslexia). This allowed me to get accommodations: 150% time on tests (so I could actually finish them) and the ability to ask for extensions with no guarantee, but these accommodations were far below everything I actually needed. I continued to struggle through school only barely getting the grades I considered “good,” but I was tired of staying up late with stinging eyes, intense pain in my wrist, and constant late assignments. At that point I decided I needed to know why I was like this. 

I got on the waitlist for the county testing site and after a four month wait, I was denied testing because my grades were too good. I then waited three more months to start testing at a private facility. After 20 hours of testing over multiple days I came in to hear the results. The neuropsychologist started the meeting by asking me “what is the worst thing I could say to you today?” I started crying a little and responded “that you found nothing.” He chuckled a little and said “well I’m definitely not going to say that.” I got my diagnosis in March of 2023, and since the day I found out, I knew I wanted to take all the adversity I had faced and use it to make the world a better place for people with disabilities. I started this change in my own life. I learned through trial and error what accommodations worked for me and how to advocate for my needs. Having a diagnosis helped tremendously because it not only helped others better understand my circumstances, it helped me better understand them as well. 

I learned about dyslexic strengths and weaknesses and found a way to build a world that fit my needs. I won't say it's been easy because it hasn't, but the place I am in today was worth every second. Don't get me wrong, I am still not perfect. I am still learning a lot about the world and myself, but now I’m not scared of what the future will hold because I know I have the tools, determination, and work ethic to achieve my wildest dreams. I have grown so much from that little girl that always felt so alone to now belonging to a wide and welcoming community. Now more than anything I just want to help others like me find that same sense of belonging and possibility.