From the great state of Georgia, Miss America Teen finalist leads the way to Orlando with confidence and pride as a pageant contestant. She is a true success story for Dyslexics. In an era where teens navigate life through screens and algorithms, I witnessed something extraordinary that challenges our assumptions about Generation Z’s capacity for genuine connection and personal growth. As an educator and children’s book author, I’ve discovered that sometimes the most powerful catalyst for change isn’t found in the latest app or AI tool—it’s in the age-old art of storytelling.
Navigating dyslexia is a bit like trying to read a map where the streets keep rearranging themselves – it can be incredibly frustrating and often leaves kids feeling like they’re always one step behind. You know, it’s not just about mixing up letters or reading slowly; it ripples into every corner of a young person’s life. In elementary school, kids might struggle with those dreaded read-aloud sessions or feel embarrassed when they can’t finish a test on time, while their classmates seem to breeze through it. Then comes the teen years, and whew, that’s when things can get really tricky! Suddenly there’s this mountain of required reading in every subject, timed essays that feel impossible, and don’t even get me started on trying to take notes while a teacher speeds through a PowerPoint presentation. Plus, there’s this added layer of social pressure – trying to look “normal” while your brain is working overtime just to decode that text message from a friend or the caption under a social media post. Many teens develop these incredibly creative workarounds – like using voice notes instead of written messages or becoming masters of verbal communication – but it’s like running a marathon where everyone else seems to be taking a casual jog. Most of these students are highly intelligent and creative thinkers; they just process information differently, which honestly can be both their biggest challenge and their secret superpower.
The Journey to Her Jeweled Crown
The journey to the jeweled crown began when I opened my classroom door to find an African American fourth-grade girl with a perfectly neat afro puffs, walking in our school hallway alongside the admissions officer with a mix of hope and hesitation in her eyes as she and her mother were nearing the exit the building. Her eyes appeared to ask millions of questions in a matter of a second without stating a word. It was at that moment I introduced myself to Carrington’s family. How did I not see tht Carrington would ultimately spark a movement that’s now transforming lives, bring an awareness to mild learning disabilities, showcasing how to approach wellness and executing resilience with such gracefulness.
When Vulnerability Is the Lesson
Two year later, I shifted from an elementary teacher to a Middle School teacher. While that may sound frightening, it only felt like an opportunity to learn and grow as an educator. What I failed to realize is that my students would be my teacher. I listened and learned. It was my first day as a now seventh grade teacher, Carrington would sit directly in the chair before me in her desk with a cute pencil pouch, well poised, legs crossed and an auspicious smile. As a way to help students understand my emphasis on the importance of relationships, I always begin class with a ‘check in’ to gauge how they are arriving. On this particular day, I started sharing my own vulnerable moments as an author with my students. I shared with them all of my messy first drafts, crossed-out sentences, and countless revisions. I even shared with them how complicated the writing process seemed to be as I communicated back and forth with my editors. These shared experiences helped my students understand that excellence isn’t about perfection—it’s about persistence. This transparency created what I call the “First 5” Phenomenon (just a way to make the first 5 minutes meaningful). This five minutes is at the start of each class where students would share a story or glimpse of their day, either verbally or in writing, without judgment or grades. The rules were: free choice topic, you have 3o seconds to share, the focus must include self and you can only speak from your own perspective and you must use “I” statements. This lead to silly stories, hug sessions, sometimes a few tears, students asking how we can help another student (in private conversation) and sometimes complete silence from some. Carrington seemed to be the student who chose silence if the topics grew serious, especially if conversations involved students discussing anxiety or if the subject matter involved conversation around having and meeting challenges involving school subjects or specific classes.
From Silence to Strength
Carrington, despite normally being vocal about social justice issues, would often stay after class for a minute or so to share her daily experiences with me one-on-one. I could tell that she wanted me to understand that she wanted to share, but just wasn’t quite ready to share with the entire class just yet.
What emerged from these soft spoken conversations was extraordinary—a desire to write her own book about living with dyslexia. It began with a phone call over the summer break from her mother. She let me know that Carrington was highly interested in writing her story and wanted to make sure children who had a Dyslexia diagnosis knew how to ‘decode dyslexia’. Over the next four months, we collaborated on what would become Dyslexia Doesn’t Define Me, children’s book that witness Carrington Manous’ transformative story as she overcomes reading difficulties, discovers self-confidence, and soars to new heights while taking the stage to compete for the crown in local, state and national pageants. Carrington didn’t just want to write a book – she wanted to make a difference.
Resilience Results in Impact
Carrington’s impact of her consistent resilience is compelling. Some impactful things have occured such as:
- Carrington earned the title of Miss Cobb County, Miss Greater Atlanta Teen, Miss Georgia’s Teen 2024, currently stands as 2025 Miss America’s Teen finalist.
- Manous advocated at the Georgia State Capitol, helping pass legislation for early dyslexia screening in K-3 grades, July 2021
- Georgia Department of Education provided $5.26 million in grants to support students with dyslexia
- Georgia Department of Education awarded $1.5 million to expand, improve dyslexia endorsement programs
- Manous establishes Carrington Cares, a non-profit organization supporting dyslexic students
- Carrington Manous’ book signings across the state and beyond inspire countless others to share their stories of Dyslexia
In our quest to provide the best opportunities for our children, we often overlook the simple yet profound power of creating safe spaces for authentic expression and growing heir desires for advocacy.
Creating safe spaces for teens to have a voice is not a huge undertaking, nor does it involve expensive programs or cutting-edge technology, however it does require time, fostering genuine connections and validating personal narratives.
You may be wondering how to get your teens involved in advocacy at such a young age. For those who want to follow the following steps:
- Start with Personal Connection
- Choose causes that directly affect them or their peers
- Use personal experiences to inform advocacy goals
- Connect individual stories to larger social issues
- Build Knowledge and Skills
- Research the issue thoroughly
- Learn about policy-making processes
- Develop public speaking abilities
- Master social media for positive impact
- Take Progressive Steps
- Begin with school-level initiatives
- Join or create student organizations
- Connect with local advocacy groups
- Network with other teen advocates
- Use Technology Effectively
- Create digital campaigns
- Utilize social media platforms responsibly
- Develop online petitions
- Build virtual support networks
- Key Success Factors
- Start small and build gradually
- Focus on achievable goals
- Seek mentorship from experienced advocates
- Document progress and impact
- Collaborate with peers and supportive adults
Creating Your Own “First 5” Movement at Home with Your Teen
Interested in fostering similar transformations? Consider these steps:
- Create daily opportunities for unstructured storytelling with your teen
- Share your own vulnerabilities and growth moments. Be intentional once a week at minimum.
- Support passion projects that emerge organically, voice how this helps you to hold a space of joy.
- Connect your teen with real-world platforms for their voices
Looking Forward
This story exemplifies what’s possible when we move beyond traditional metrics of success and embrace the power of personal narrative in building resilience. It’s not just about academic achievement—it’s about nurturing voices that can change the world and shifting perspective!
For more information about Dyslexia visit www.dyslexiaaida.org as well as find providers to assist with a range of professional services.
Defying Dyslexia was Carrington’s platform as she went on her journey to the 2025 Miss America and Miss America Teen stage. Manous chose not to use her diagnoisis as a barrier. Rather, she used it as her booster to reach each milestone she set. Decoding Dyslexia With Resilience is what Carrington added as a jewel in her crown.
Let’s continue this conversation: How are you fostering spaces for authentic expression in your home or with a teen that is important in your life? Are you allowing a diagnosis to be a barrier rather than a booster? Share your experiences and insights below.