April 27, 2007 -- Russell Cosby, board member at the Ennis Cosby/Hello Friend Foundation, visited our community last Friday to share his experiences growing up with a learning difference and being diagnosed with dyslexia at age 52. He grew up in Philadelphia and tried his best to get through school without being singled out, made fun of by other students, or ridiculed by his teachers. As a hard-worker who felt frustrated in school, Cosby spent most days fearful that a teacher would ask him to do something that he couldn’t whether that meant reading aloud from a book or paper, or answering a question. After graduating from trade school with his GED, Cosby began working in the airline industry and remained there for more than 30 years.

Inspired by his late nephew Ennis, also dyslexic, Cosby decided to undergo diagnostic testing to determine if he too had a learning difference. At age 52, Cosby learned that he was dyslexic and “felt a tremendous sense of relief.” Knowing that he could learn but that he simply learned differently from others began a process of building self-confidence that was long overdue.

The next chapter of his life, his college career, would take him away from his family in Atlanta and bring him to New England and to Florida. After eight years of hard work, countless hours in the library, immeasurable effort to complete graduation requirements, Cosby graduated from Florida A&M in 2003 with his degree. In sharp contrast to his GED, which he refers to as “simply a piece of paper”, this degree and the ring to match are spoken of and shown off with tremendous pride. One of the biggest lessons learned in college was to answer the questions of “why I do what I do and how do I learn best?” By asking questions, investing time in building skills, seeking out people who could help him, and by not giving up, Cosby learned about dyslexia, his learning style, and what he needed to do to succeed.

He encouraged our students to use resources available to them and to empower themselves to ask for help from teachers. Another important message to our community was to “surround yourself with people that support you.” Speaking to a quiet and attentive audience, Cosby encouraged each of us to follow our dreams, to believe in ourselves, and to work toward our goals.