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.