Hello,

It’s Rose again. Wow, it’s been quite a first half of the semester. From amazing new experiences to the stress and realization of being on your own. Also learning how to manage your anxiety and depression, while also recognizing it’s okay not to always be strong. I want to tell you why I stay, and why I say IOWA.

When I walked into the doors the first time as a student I thought everyone here would support me. While yes, some professors want you to succeed, there is still a LOT of discrimination toward students with learning disabilities. I have dyslexia which means I struggle with reading and writing. I know funny, right? I am a music major, and that’s basically all my major is. I can laugh now about it when I make silly mistakes, but I still don’t always get the same respect I deserve.
So why would I still choose Iowa even when I have had so much trouble this semester? It’s because while I don’t have everyone on my side, I have more people supporting me than I could have imagined. I can go to 20 different people who all will support me and will find a way to make it possible for me to keep going even with those few things working against me.

Last, I fight for myself. While yes, you have support, you need to speak up if things are not getting better. Say something, plan a meeting, change the situation, etc. They will help you here and will be on your side. That is why I stay and say IOWA

Cheers,
Rose