An area student has taken his experience with dyslexia and turned it into a project to help others, winning a $10,000 scholarship along the way.
Joe Hendrix, a senior at Redwater High School, created the "Navigating Dyslexia" program through the Literacy Council of Bowie and Miller Counties as his Eagle Scout project. He created it in October, which is National Dyslexia Awareness Month. Last week, he returned from New York City, where he received the Anne Ford Scholarship during the National Center for Learning Disabilities' Annual Benefit Dinner. The scholarship is given to a graduating high school senior with a documented learning disability and/or ADHD.
Hendrix said he was diagnosed with dyslexia in third grade and has worked hard to overcome the struggles it has brought him.
"I found several things that helped me in little ways to help me learn better," he said. "It still takes me a little while to comprehend readings. I have worked through it and I have gotten a lot better for sure."
The project consists of information on dyslexia, including resources for students to be tested for it and what programs are available to help those who have it. He put together about 300 packets and gave them to the Texarkana, Ark., Police Department so they could then be distributed to children in their after school programs. Hendrix said he wanted to help those with dyslexia learn to advocate for themselves and others.
"Definitely to let everybody to not be afraid to have a learning disability or hold them back or think they can't do good," he said. "I want to help them get help to succeed. Hopefully this will help them to advocate for themselves and others so no kid has struggle in school."
TAPD spokeswoman Kristi Bennett said the packets will be distributed to children in fifth through 12th grades.
"This is an additional opportunity these kids will be provided that they may not have otherwise been able to receive," she said. Many times students are diagnosed through their school district, and this program gives all students additional resources and information on it.
"We have a strong partnership with the school district. This is another opportunity these children may not have been afforded. More is always better."
Hendrix will graduate in May and said he plans to study geographic information science at the University of North Texas.