Ben
Location: New York
Age: 30
College: Harvard Extension School (BA)
Profession: Student – Psychology
Biography: I was recently diagnosed with NVLD shortly after completing college at the Harvard Extension School in 2020. Discovering I was misdiagnosed has provided much needed clarity in helping me both concretize and investigate my specific set of strengths and weaknesses. While the journey to this point has not been easy by any stretch of the imagination, I am excited to have the opportunity to create impact within the NVLD community and to use my voice to illuminate some of the often invisible struggles that our population can face. One of the aspects of NVLD I am most fascinated with is the versatility of skill development, and how those differences contribute to right brain/left brain function. I am eager to continue my efforts in studying psychology and specifically finding impact-centric opportunities that prioritize humanity in the mental health field. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, singing, acting, writing poems, swimming and playing video games.
Who has influenced your life the most and why? The few teachers in high school and middle school who saw my struggles both socially and academically in school who I’ll always remember as they had the empathy to see beyond my problematic behavior and create an environment where I felt comfortable enough to share with them. I will always remember fondly those teacher who saw the real me behind the chaos of growing up with a misdiagnosis.
