Reflections on
Brown University:
Adam Koplewicz,
Brown ‘08
Receives Huber Award
By Nazneen Malik
“Today, my future looks
bright,” says Adam Koplewicz in his acceptance at the 2004 National Achievement
Awards Gala co-hosted by the non-profit organization, Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic®.
The proud recipient of the
Marion Huber Listening Through Learning Award, he graduated from Columbia Grammar
and Preparatory School with impressive credentials. The award is given annually
to high school seniors with learning disabilities in recognition of leadership,
scholarship, and community service. Despite his struggle with dyslexia, Adam
excelled in sports, was the editor of his high school newspaper, and maintained
a grade point average of 3.82, no small feat.
Now a freshman
at Brown University, Adam recalls, “It was nice to receive acknowledgement for the hard work,
and to realize what I had to overcome with having dyslexia.” Diagnosed
with dyslexia at the age of four, Adam attributes much of his success to hard
work, to the support he received from his parents, and to a certain degree,
remedial programs he was involved in when he was younger, which focused on
improving his ability to read, write, and spell.
Like many elementary
school kids, Adam’s first role model was Michael Jordan, but as he grew older
his role models became those who had struggled with dyslexia themselves. Meeting
people like Goldman Sach’s executive, Gary Cohn, writer and activist,
Jonathan Mooney, and nonprofit businessman, David Flink, helped Adam recognize
that people with dyslexia “have done so well [and that] really gave me
motivation and also confidence that I could do something at that level.” In fact, Adam will soon begin training to be part of a program
started by Jonathan Mooney, called Eye-to Eye. The Brown-based program pairs
up college students who have learning disorders or ADHD with elementary school
students struggling with similar difficulties. The underlying message of the
program is that “just because you have this difference doesn’t
mean that you’re disabled in any regard.”
“Dyslexi has made me
more attuned and compassionate to others who struggle,” says Adam. He
has reached a point in his life where he has transformed his own painful experiences
into an asset. He advises other students with dyslexia to “find people
who have similar deficits and have made it, to reaffirm that it is possible;
that it is doable, [and] to find the support that you need whether it’s
from your parents or from some outside source [like support groups].” Adam
also encourages students with dyslexia or other learning disabilities, to ask
for the extra time that they are entitled to when taking exams. The terminology
that is used is fifty percent or a hundred percent, the latter meaning twice
as much time as other students receive for an exam. He also suggests that if
a school requires proof before they grant extra time, then the best thing is
to get a letter from a psychologist or psychiatrist. If money is an issue,
he recommends going to one of many non-profit organizations around the country
that will be able to subsidize costs.
As for Adam’s
future plans, Brown has opened up multiple avenues for him to explore and
while he is still pursuing his interest in neuroscience, he is keeping his
options open.
Adam Koplewicz’s
continued dedication and perseverance promise success in his future endeavors.#
