Frosh gets White House visit

When Sean Cronin was in high school battling dyslexia, he would never have expected to be welcomed to the White House.

But his visit to Washington illustrates how the College freshman has overcome his learning disability and is just one of his many accomplishments he has achieved.

In high school, Cronin was continually behind in his classes, as reading textbooks took much longer for him than his peers. But now with the use of textbooks recorded on tape by Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, Cronin is "on a level playing field with everyone else," he said.

Cronin was congratulated earlier this month by First Lady Laura Bush for winning a 2001 National Achievement Award from the nonprofit RFBD -- the same group that produces the textbooks on tape that Cronin now uses to study.

Established in 1948, RFBD is the first and largest non-profit organization providing textbooks to students with disabilities and learning impairments.

The group consists of 102,000 members and more than 5,300 trained volunteers who record 90,000 volumes. The volunteers are both students and professionals who work in specific subject areas.

The group's volumes aided Cronin in his recent achievement. The specific award he received, the Marian Huber Learning through Listening Award, was given to three students from among more than 100 applicants across the nation.

Now, Cronin sits thoughtfully, speaking in a confident tone about his learning difficulty. Although some might label him as disabled, Cronin believes he's just like any other Penn student facing certain challenges.

Cronin first learned he had a learning difficulty in elementary school, but said, "it didn't really change anything." There were few solutions his parents or teachers could offer.

Throughout his childhood, Cronin's parents were supportive of him in every way. His parents never thought of dyslexia as "a valid excuse" for poor performance.

"They made me realize it wasn't something that was going to stop me from doing well," Cronin said. "And they helped me out when I had trouble, even when I didn't do as well as I wanted."

Dyslexia is a common learning disability that affects more than 10 million Americans' ability to read. Although it may be hereditary, dyslexia is a problem that affects people with every level of intellectual capacity.

Cronin's learning difficulty has ceased to affect his daily life since he started using textbooks on tape. He leads the life of an average Penn student, filling a busy schedule with studying and rowing for the lightweight crew team.

Although most of his friends know about his learning difficulty, Cronin notes that it was really never an issue to anyone.

"I don't think they thought differently of me," Cronin said, adding that using textbooks on tape to study "was just something I did differently" than other students.

His future plans may include medical school, a possibility that Cronin would have once never thought possible. Medical textbooks, as well as thousands of other volumes on other subjects, are now available on tape to all students who have learning difficulties.

Although Cronin said his visit to the White House was "a pretty big event," he took it all quite calmly compared to his mother, who "made a pretty big deal about it." Cronin said his friends, some having been unaware of his dyslexia, also thought his trip "was pretty cool."

Reflecting on life after his visit, Cronin notes that he has never thought of himself as disabled, at least "not in the typical sense."

"When I think of disabled," he said, "I think of someone in a wheelchair."

Dyslexia is just "one of those things that's been part of my life for a long time," Cronin said, and not something that bothers him in daily life.

But for those facing challenges, Cronin asserts that "they shouldn't ever let having a disability dictate what they want to do or where they want to go."

Showing a quiet modesty, Cronin disputes the representation of him as an inspiration to others.

But he does believe that his accomplishment has shown that "even people with disabilities or dyslexia don't have boundaries."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.