"When I was a kid, I was diagnosed with dyslexia by the school’s psychologist. The problem was my family only had the diagnosis. We were given no follow-up or strategies about working with my neurodivergence. It was just a weakness to accept. Unsurprisingly, I fell behind in school. That all changed by the time I entered 10th grade. There, I was fortunate to have a teacher who noticed that I could be further along than I was. Together, we crafted an educational program that would advance me. The school’s administration was not happy with us doing that and tried to roadblock our efforts, as from their standpoint, they didn’t want to see me fail. Thankfully, my teacher’s will was stronger than theirs, and so was mine. She championed for me and used her understanding of the school system to help me—one with the talent and vision but not the resources or knowledge—to forge a path toward fulfilling that vision for myself.

The plan worked exceptionally well and altered my future trajectory. Instead of working three low-wage jobs to make ends meet, I wound up becoming a nuclear engineering technologist in the Navy. Instead of getting a GED, I was accepted to UC Berkeley and MIT. Today, aside from being a social entrepreneur, I’m a data analyst, and I utilize my dyslexia to process data nonlinearly, which is something not all analysts can do. What was a weakness is now a strength. 

I was lucky, though. I had a champion; many others don’t. Countless brilliant ideas and ventures rot on the vine because they lack support. Many people with unusual minds fall through the cracks for the same reason. It is my dream and calling to do what I can to change that. Elysian Trust is the fostering incubator for that dream. Through it, we work to maximize humanity’s greatest resource: ourselves."

Learn more about Nth Bar-Fields and their work here: https://www.elysiantrust.org/