Jonathan Mooney & David Cole

I continued to go back and forth with myself at college, from “I hate this. Time to drop out” and “I will do what I have to”. I had become acquainted to my young sober friends and found myself becoming a scholar I guess. I also was struggling with the effects of acid had left on me after the binge I had with the drug the year before. I couldn't type phone number without doing a couple times over, I couldn’t go to bed without having intense psychedelic dreams and my night vision didn’t come back for years as well. Throughout my time at Landmark College, I had gained a series of different techniques I could use to my eventual transfer to Brown University. -David

Every time I sit down to confront this page, it all blanks out. I dropped out of high school my sophomore year and ran out of my small town known as Hanover, New Hampshire. It started in seventh grade, the worst year of my life. I spent a lot of time in the room between the vice principles office and the photocopy machine, a small cubical known as the suspension room (I became very popular there). I spend 6 hours inside that room, and I spent each one fantasizing about how I would torture them if I had the chance. The first place that I ever felt truly comfortable in was the art room. I spent a lot of time doing drugs (mainly acid) and found myself homeless in San Francisco for a few months. The first time I got high it was like someone cut off a straightjacket. But is it Self Medication or chemical self-acceptance? My life consisted of drugs, money, and rules of conduct. I went back home with my family, trying to get sober again. I even re enrolled to my old high school, the Put...

Last year, I went to see the director of the Department of Disability Support Services to get accommodations, but he wouldn’t even give me extra time. It’s so frustrating, of all the people that would understand my needs, I thought it should be him.  I went back to see him at this beginning of this semester because I had just found out I had just over a 3.0 GPA when I thought I did well enough to get a 4.0, but he just kept putting me down. He told me I should have self-identified as LD in my college applications, but I wanted them to be impressed with my grades without even knowing I’m dyslexic. I told him that I wanted to major in English and he literally laughed at me! He told me I’m not “intellectual” enough for that. I was so frustrated that I ended up enrolling in four English classes, and I got my report card today.  Guess what? I got two A’s and two A-’s. Take that Mr. Director guy. -Jonathan

I really enjoy playing soccer everyday. I am very good at it. Soccer is fun and easy for me. My mom, dad and Billy say I am like a superstar. I can play soccer whenever I want because I live in Manhattan Beach, California.         I go to Pennycamp Elementary School. My siblings also went here. I am currently starting the 3 rd grade. I am not a fan of this school or even school in general. I am not smart enough. Last year my teacher, Mrs . C, told me I should be ashamed of myself because I wasn’t as smart as everyone else. She treated me differently than the other students. I could tell by her body language. She didn’t like me every much. She put me with the not good readers. It made me very sad. My mom took me to the doctor, he said I was depressed… whatever that means. I HATED MY TEACHER. I HATED HER SO MUCH… I imagined killing her once.         Well now I am in 3 rd grade. I don’t have to worry about h...