Marc Thurman is the director of the Centers for Diversity and Inclusion at Landmark College. He graduated from the college in 2018 and is also head coach of the men's basketball team. He lives in Putney and was a founding member of the town's Putney Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee.
PUTNEY-October marks Learning Disability (LD) Awareness Month, a time set aside to shine a light on the challenges and successes of people who learn differently.
For me and my colleagues at Landmark College, this month has always been about more than awareness - it's about celebrating difference as a strength and encouraging others to embrace their authentic selves.
Learning differently is a superpower and a gift. Embracing our differences can change the world, starting right where we stand. Celebrating Learning Disability Awareness Month means encouraging everyone to be who they are.
When I came to Landmark College as a student over 10 years ago, I discovered I wasn't the only one who learned differently. Before then, the journey hadn't been easy. As a student of color, I often lacked culturally competent evaluations.
Too many young people like me are misidentified as having intellectual disabilities or emotional disturbance, rather than conditions like ADHD or dyslexia. Such misdiagnoses can lead to missed opportunities, harmful stereotypes, and negative social experiences that can make you feel like giving up.
Of course, neurodiversity does not exist in isolation. As with the example of my own misdiagnosis, it intersects with race, gender, class, religion, and other identities. Young people of every background in this country experience the challenge of trying to learn in an environment that isn't built for them, but as a society, we've yet to build truly inclusive systems that honor the full complexity of individuals' identities.
For those of us who are neurodiverse, it can be difficult to be truly authentic in spaces that are not ready to accept all of us. That is why community matters so much. Understanding and acceptance from family, peers, and educators can be the difference between someone giving up - or pushing forward and achieving things they never thought possible.
* * *
Thankfully, at Landmark, I found a community where I could be both seen and heard. A safe and supportive environment made all the difference. For the first time, I realized that my learning profile wasn't unique, and I wasn't alone. And the strengths that came with my learning difference could carry me toward success in the classroom, on the basketball court, and in life.
Now, in a leadership role here, I strive to be authentic in my journey so that others can see their potential. If I can overcome challenges, so can they. I believe that an authentic, "Being-Me" approach is essential.
For my neurodiverse journey, three elements have always been crucial:
1. The opportunity to learn in a safe and supportive environment.
2. The chance to be seen and heard, within a community that is open-minded.
3. Guidance to better understand learning differences - not just as diagnoses, but as pathways to growth.
At Landmark College, these values are at the heart of what we do. As the world's first college designed for students who learn differently, we have spent four decades embracing difference as a strength, not a weakness. We reject a medical-first model that treats learning differences as conditions to be cured. Instead, we take a strengths-based approach that empowers students to thrive academically, socially, and professionally.
* * *
We all learn differently, and we all come from different parts of the world with unique cultural backgrounds. But being neurodiverse can help to build bridges, no matter the lines of difference.
Recognizing and uplifting these differences strengthens our communities. When we empower students to embrace who they are, we also build more inclusive systems that honor the full complexity of individual identity.
During this LD Awareness Month, and beyond, I invite readers to celebrate difference in all its forms. Let's work together to foster a more inclusive and understanding environment for everyone.
While hateful and divisive rhetoric may dominate much of the national conversation, I believe we can find a better path right here in Vermont. When we empower all our neighbors - no matter how they learn or who they are - there is no limit to what we as a community can accomplish.
This Voices Viewpoint was submitted to The Commons.
This piece, published in print in the Voices section or as a column in the news sections, represents the opinion of the writer. In the newspaper and on this website, we strive to ensure that opinions are based on fair expression of established fact. In the spirit of transparency and accountability, The Commons is reviewing and developing more precise policies about editing of opinions and our role and our responsibility and standards in fact-checking our own work and the contributions to the newspaper. In the meantime, we heartily encourage civil and productive responses at voices@commonsnews.org.