Success Stories

From "Lazy Student" to Master's Degree
Nikki Pollack's Story of Struggle, Sacrifice and Giving Back

As a child in the tiny town of Canton, Miss., Nikki Pollack struggled severely in school. Teachers told her parents she would never graduate from high school and that college was out of the question. Despite the poor prognosis, Pollack’s parents never gave up on their daughter as they spent years going to various professionals for advice about how to help her. Their search lead them to a diagnosis of attention deficit disorder and also to a pivotal decision: They sent Pollack to live with cousins in Atlanta when she was in the eighth grade so she could attend The Howard School, the place they determined was best equipped to address her learning challenges.

Today, Pollack is a graduate of The University of Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in human performance. She also earned a master’s degree in occupational therapy (OT) and has been accepted into a doctoral program. She was drawn to do OT work, she says, as a way of “giving back” to children who have similar struggles to those of her childhood. Currently she is married and works as an OT at the Shepherd Center where she treats patients with spinal cord injuries, low-level brain injury and other neurological disorders. In a recent interview with Kids Enabled, Pollack described her journey and offered some insight to parents of children struggling with learning challenges.

KE: What were your biggest struggles growing up? What were your toughest challenges in the classroom?
NP: My biggest struggle growing up was that people thought I was lazy in the classroom starting in the first grade. Fighting that stigma and fighting for my rights in a school in which teachers and administrators did not understand learning disabilities and to this day still don’t was difficult. My toughest challenges in the classroom were staying on task and staying organized. I am a person who is ‘all over the place,’ and learning how to learn was a difficult and slow yet successful process.

KE: How old were you when you were diagnosed with a learning disability? What is your earliest memory of struggling in school?
NP: I was diagnosed with a learning disability when I was 7 years old. My earliest memory of struggling in the classroom was when I noticed that I didn’t pick up things as quickly as other kids. Reading comprehension was very difficult for me. Math also was a huge struggle and sometimes still is.

KE: How did your challenges change as you progressed through elementary, middle school and high school?
NP: My challenges changed as I transferred to The Howard School in eighth grade. The school was geared toward my learning style. There were teachers who knew how I learned, and so they made it successful for me.

KE: Were there any particular interventions or teaching methods that helped you make gains academically?
NP: Breaking things down into a step-by-step process made it easier for me to learn. Writing stuff down on paper is huge, such as your homework. Keeping a homework log was helpful. Also, I realize many people don’t believe in medicine these days, but getting on Ritalin and then Dexedrine brought about the biggest gain for me as it helped me stay on task. I have to say, however, I wouldn’t just throw a child on medicine unless you have tried other strategies.

KE:  Did your struggles ever cause your self-esteem to suffer?
NP: Absolutely! You should ask my mother how many days and years I cried over how I was not included because I was slightly different. Not until I moved to a new school in a new state where kids were like me did I start to gain self-esteem. Had it not also been for my principal, Gayle Born, my assistant principal and teacher, Glen Hauenstein, and other teachers and coaches, I think my self-esteem would still be suffering. It’s nice when people believe in you and know that you can succeed.

KE: Can you describe your social struggles in more detail and tell us what you think was at the root of those difficulties?
NP: I grew up with some kids that were just not nice. I think one of the roots of the struggles was that I learned differently, and those kids did not understand how I learned. Now those kids are really great friends, and they understand my learning style. Yet it took me moving to a different state and some of them being envious of me to improve the social relationships. I am one of the only kids at my old school in Mississippi to have gone for a master’s degree and now, possibly my doctorate.

KE: Did you feel prepared to go to college after graduating from high school?
NP: Yes. I felt that I had all of the skills and knowledge to make it.

KE: What advice would you give to parents of children who struggle with learning challenges?
NP: Do not give up on your child, and do not let an ‘unknowledgeable’ teacher tell you your child is lazy. It may take a while and you may have to be really patient before getting the right help. There are OTs and other professionals out there like me who can help assist your child.

KE: What advice would you give a child who is struggling in school?
NP: You are a great person, and you have a lot to offer the world. Give yourself a break. Take a deep breath when kids are being mean to you or if you did badly on a test. You are very good inside, and you can do anything that you set your mind to.

KE: Is there anything that you would do differently or think should have been done differently for you during your childhood education?
NP: I think at that time my parents did everything they could. They took me to any specialist there was that could help me. They also moved me to Atlanta where I lived with my cousins while they were in Mississippi. They gave up a couple of years with their child so that I could have the best education and get the skills that I needed to learn and succeed in school and in life.

KE: How do you define success at this point in your life?
NP: I have a master’s in occupational therapy. I am going to go for my doctorate. People told my parents and me at my old elementary school that I would never graduate from high school or college. Boy, were they wrong. I can now help children with learning disabilities that are struggling just as I did. I know what they are going through unlike people who have never walked in the shoes of a child with learning disabilities. I love to help other people, especially children who are struggling in school, because I have walked a million miles and I live in their shoes every day of my life.

Kids Enabled thanks Nikki Pollack for sharing her story.

Success Stories Archives

Spring '06 - Perserverance Despite Challenges - Beth Baily described the learning and emotional challenges she faced as a child and offered advice to parents of children with similar struggles.