John Fernandez had a secret. In 5th grade, he was only pretending to read.

John has dyslexia, which made learning to read a challenge. But with support from his special education teacher and The Shadow Project, he did it. Today, he’s planning to attend college—the first in his family—and wants to become an architect.

“Believe in yourself,” John says to kids with learning challenges. “The only one who knows your value is you.” Watch his story:

Click here to learn about our Reading Mentoring program, which empowered John with the tools and support to become a reader.