2008 Marion Huber Learning Through Listening Awards
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"RFB&D gave me a doorway to learning." Craig Pfizenmaier
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Craig Pfizenmaier describes dyslexia and dysgraphia as "a cocktail of learning disabilities" that proved to be his "captor, thwarting many attempts for an education." Although his learning disabilities were diagnosed early, some teachers decided that Craig "could not be taught." He was denied accommodations, made to sit apart from the rest of the class and not allowed to participate. To Craig, it was as if he was being shut in a closet and ignored.
Finally, Craig's parents demanded equal education for their son. As a first step, he was given an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) detailing the accommodations he would need. Craig's father discovered RFB&D and realized how important it was for verbal learners such as Craig. Now Craig could master reading materials in one sitting instead of "laboring for hours staring at words I didn't understand."
By high school, Craig was using all the learning tools at his disposal, and his academic accomplishments began to mount. He completed Advanced Placement courses, attaining a 4.0 grade point average. In addition, he rose to the rank of Eagle Scout while maintaining an active schedule of musical theater rehearsal and performance. With his skill for acting, dancing, singing and academics, Craig became what theater fans might describe as a desirable "quadruple threat" for any college admission board.
His teachers and advisors were so impressed with Craig's achievements that they asked him to represent the school at high school fairs for eighth graders. According to Joseph O'Neill, Director of Admissions at Mount St. Charles Academy, "parents see him as whom they would like their own child to be at the end of high school."
With aspirations to work in the FBI or law enforcement, Craig knows he will continue to use audiobooks from RFB&D through college and beyond. "Without RFB&D, I would not be the great student I am today," he says.
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"Getting books from RFB&D … made a world of difference." Kevin Lueke
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Kevin Lueke recalls being told that "reading with dyslexia is like walking backward; it's possible but never comfortable." In the lower grades, Kevin may have been "uncomfortable" with reading, but, thanks to an early diagnosis and special tutoring, he kept pace with his classmates. High school, however, changed all that. The sudden surge in required reading, coupled with the tremendous effort Kevin expended just to deal with the mechanics of reading, left him little time to actually analyze and comprehend the material. His grades began to drop.
Recognizing Kevin's struggle with the printed word, the director of his high school learning center recommended audiobooks from RFB&D. Freeing him from exhaustive decoding and deciphering, audiobooks enabled Kevin to understand the material, and he was soon back on track with his peers. In fact, according to Charlotte Knepp, College Counselor at St. Michael's Catholic Academy, "Kevin has no peer in mathematics. He has exhausted our math offerings and is taking multivariable calculus and differential equations by distance learning."
Reducing his academic struggles allowed Kevin to pursue his love of sports and music. He participated in several clubs at school and attended the Texas State Honors Math Camp. While there, he participated in the Siemens Foundation's annual science competition, where his team attained semifinalist status. His future plans include studying physics, computer science or electrical engineering in college. He states he could end up with a career in "anything from video game design to research."
Kevin is committed to helping students who struggle as he did. In high school, he served as a mentor for younger students with learning disabilities, telling them how the audiobooks changed his life and how they "make school a lot less frustrating, a lot less like walking backward."
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"Because my disabilities are not the focus of my day, I am excited and empowered by my education." Rebekah (Phred) Swain-Sugarman
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Rebekah (Phred) Swain-Sugarman knew early in life that she had more difficulty with learning than her peers. Afraid to show what she perceived as "weakness," she compensated as best she could for as long as she could. Finally, she was diagnosed with dyslexia in seventh grade. This came as a surprise to her parents, but not to Rebekah. "Everything … that showed up in my testing, I had been feeling for years," she recalls.
Even after her diagnosis, reading presented a difficult barrier, leading Rebekah to avoid books. In eighth grade, she learned about audiobooks from RFB&D, and her world changed dramatically. Not only did Rebekah's comprehension and grade point average improve, but so did her class participation and feelings of empowerment.
"Before RFB&D, books were my enemies," she says. "Worlds
that I could not enter, scrambled symbols that mocked me … a constant
reminder of my limitations as a person with dyslexia." But, with
audiobooks from RFB&D, Rebekah moved from struggling just to pass
her classes to excelling.
Rebekah takes with her to The Evergreen State College her love of creative
arts, a 3.83 grade point average, and a commitment to community service,
especially for others with learning disabilities. She is currently compiling
a learning disability guide book for parents, teachers and school administrators
and has previously done exemplary volunteer work for both the Oakland
Zoo and the Oakland Based Urban Gardens (OBUGS) project.
The joy and satisfaction that learning now brings Rebekah has led her to pursue a career in education. Knowing she will always be a "nontraditional" learner, Rebekah wants to share her story with others in support of "individualizing" learning. Echoes of RFB&D founder Anne T. Macdonald's philosophy can be heard when Rebekah says, "I believe that students have the right to be educated in a way that gives them the opportunity to learn."
