Read Pelumi's empowering story and how she will be taking over our Instagram for a day.

Before her diagnosis, she didn’t know that much about dyslexia, so it came as a shock to her.

I got officially diagnosed with dyslexia towards the end of my first year of my A level studies. My psychology teacher had picked up several spelling mistakes in my essays. In her words, I had the understanding ‘but something just was not right’ and she encouraged me to get tested. I was scared, or more like mortified. The little knowledge I had of dyslexia back then was that it comes with a label that I did not want to be known for. It meant that I had something 'wrong' with me and that was scary to even comprehend. Super grateful to supportive friends that encouraged me to get tested – in their words “what is the worst that could happen?”

I don’t think dyslexia is a known learning difficulty in Nigeria. There are a few organisations that do amazing work (Dyslexia Nigeria and One word Africa) and I was even privileged to collaborate with them to do a talk in front of over 500 students in the University of Lagos last summer; after the talk about a dozen students came to see me asking for my contact detail because the symptoms I described were what they were experiencing and they wanted to get help. But the sad truth is that the infrastructure is just not present. The education system in Nigeria and government are blinded to these desperate needs. For that reason, the best place to start is to provide awareness. At least, knowing there is a problem in the first place means the solution can be worked towards.

I attended a private primary school and I knew something was wrong when I would comfortably read advanced books at home in my head but would stumble over basic reading material at school when asked to come out to read aloud. I remember my English teacher getting frustrated and making comments like "Pelumi are you blind?". She would get so angry and tell me to go back to my seat because she could not bear to hear me read another letter. I reacted to this rejection by disrupting the class. I made sure that if I was not going to do any learning then nobody in my class was. My year 5 report read, "Pelumi is brilliant but restless". I think the restlessness they described was me acting out because I felt nobody was listening, nobody understood. I was trying to be seen in a world that kept telling me to go away because I was not adequate.

I would advise anyone that getting diagnosed with dyslexia is absolutely not the end of the world. In fact, I believe it is totally liberating. It allows you to finally put the puzzle together. You realise that you are not crazy after all. For acceptance I am not sure what to say exactly. Sincerely I’m still very much navigating that space - I think it comes from within. Use a kinder tone to yourself, not judging yourself for every error. You are doing your best and really that is all that matters. I have now come to make open disclosure. "I am suffering from dyslexia. DEAL WITH IT". No jokes, you can find it in my blogs and newsletter.

Like many children, as a child, Pelumi tried to avoid things like spelling tests and struggled with some aspects of academic life. Receiving her diagnosis and getting the right support at university was real a game changer!

It affected me a lot in primary school. I remember pretending to be sick on Friday mornings because I just did not want to go into school since we usually had a spelling test on Fridays. I generally had the idea but swapped one or two letters around or I would spell the words phonetically. The spelling tests were marked by other students, so my scores were never private knowledge. I really wished they were. The teasing would start from Friday morning until it was time to go home for the weekend. What I do find interesting is even when I relocated to the UK, and finished my primary school and GCSEs with 13A*-B, my dyslexia was never picked up. I wonder how many people are just flying below the radar and are doing their best to succeed but still need the type of support I finally got in college to fulfil the full potentials. To sum it up, my academic journey growing up was hard, but you know what they say “what does not kill you makes you stronger”.

Getting support changed the game for me. At uni, I was able to have a tutor who helped with my grammar and spelling and I was provided with software like speech to text and extra time for my exams. I graduated with a first class. I am certain without the support I received it would absolutely not be the case.

Pelumi has gone on to thrive academically and is now studying for a PhD in Molecular Genetics. She has a real passion for understanding what makes us human.

I am currently in my final year of studying Molecular Genetics. I am obsessed with what makes us human. My fascination grew after studying the psychology of human behaviour at A-level. I wanted to go deeper in understanding the detailing of what makes us. I was good at genetics at uni and it was my best course score, so it only made sense to continue layering my knowledge, with the goal to bring knowledge to existence via my current research. I think that would be super cool or maybe I am just a geek.

Absolutely! I had to learn the hard way when I almost failed my first year because I never disclosed that I was suffering from dyslexia. I just assumed that the support I received as an undergraduate would no longer be available for me for postgraduate education. I was not doing any tests or exams, so I did not think to make any disclosure.

I ended up with more reading material than I have ever had to consume in my lifetime. Even though it’s not the greenest option I found myself having to print out stuff and isolate myself for a few hours to tap into what the scientific papers are trying to say. The truth is that it's not easy but I am a firm believer that where there is a will there is absolutely a way. Oh yes, I finally disclosed that I had dyslexia and got the support I needed.

Pelumi has some great advice for fellow dyslexics, as well as those looking to progress to further study.

It is doable. Just make sure it is a topic that you are passionate about. It’s a whole lot of work and you really need the grit and resilience to be able to finish. Also, ensure you inform your supervisor of your Dyslexia and get all the help and support that could be made available to you. Doing a PhD is already hard work but having dyslexia puts another layering on it. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot trying by trying to do it alone.

To my dyslexic friends reading this, even in moments that you are tempted to feel that you are alone, please understand that you are not. There is a community out here wanting to connect and support you. I am super grateful to the people around me who have taken out time out to review my written work over the years. They gave me the confidence to show my work to a world that can be super judgemental. I would like to give a special shout out to my trusted friend, Mariam Kargbo who has edited so much of my writing work over the 9 years of our friendship.

It’s also important to mention that, even after having an amazing community around you, there will be days when life happens and nobody is present to assist you or look over that piece of work you need to submit at a certain deadline. In those moments, I want you to take a massive inhale and exhale and TRUST YOURSELF. You are more than enough. Don't be overwhelmed by imposter syndrome. You belong in any room and space you hold right now. I think differently and for that I remain grateful; with the knowledge that I am thriving not despite dyslexia instead you do so because of it.