9 Sample Profile Essay

Note to reader: This essay has been reprinted here with the author’s permission. This is the version that was submitted for evaluation in class, and as such, it was not revised or edited specifically for publication. Please be understanding, forgiving, and respectful of any errors you may find. You can see a version of this essay in its full MLA-style glory here.

Faith Wilkinson

Rik Andes

ENGL 1010D-06

February 22, 2025

The Not-So-Typical, Typical Dad

One of the biggest misconceptions of someone who has a learning disability is that they are less capable. If someone learns differently than what is typically exhibited, they are oftentimes picked out, and labeled as someone who is different. The outcomes of someone facing these challenges are unique and organic, with some achieving success and some who really do present themselves as less capable because they never had anyone to believe in them. I often wonder if the success of my father, Jeff Wilkinson, would have been different if he had just accepted his label. He is one of the hardest workers I know, but it did not come easily.

Inside one of the most insignificant towns, consisting of a singular old and run-down shopping mart filled with squeaky-wheeled shopping carts that were sure to give you tetanus, and miles of deliciously fragrant honey-crisp apple trees, Selah, Washington, my father grew up. During the first grade, he struggled with his reading and was extremely behind the other kids in his class. With the efforts of his teachers, in hopes of combating this issue, he was pulled out of his small church school. This school was run by painfully old ladies who should have invested their efforts, knitting away their hopes and dreams in the local retirement home. He eventually transferred to a specialized school to help kids who had fallen behind. While he attended the new school, one of his prior classmates asked their ancient teacher, “Where has Jeff gone?” To which she responded, “Every litter of puppies has a runt, and Jeff is the runt.” This comment from someone he looked up to, who was supposed to be an advocate and an educator, utterly destroyed and humiliated him. The first grade was just the start of a demolished confidence. “Everyone in my peer group was told by an authority figure that, I, um, was stupid. Her job was to teach me, not belittle me,” He said.

The new school was successful at improving his reading skills, though he wished he had spent more time with phonics. Throughout his academic maturity, he began to understand how orientation has significance. “When I was a kid, if I had a toy car, it didn’t matter how I held it. From every angle, even upside down, it was still my toy car. Then I get to school, and the teacher says a circle with a line in front of it is a “b”, then if I put the line behind it is a “d,” and if I put the line in front pointing down is a “p.” It was just so confusing.” He explained how easily it came to him to understand the sequence of numbers, you automatically know what numbers come after each other, but to figure out what letters come after each other, you sing the silly little tune that has been instilled in your head since Kindergarten. The moment that he was finally able to understand this theory was in Graduate School when he discovered that an element of his learning disability was the fact he is an auditory learner rather than a visual learner.

He had never felt confident in his academic abilities. During his senior year of high school, the Senior Advisor took turns to talk to the students about their future goals and plans. Most shared plans of attending various Church Universities chasing after typical degrees to leave them sitting in a cold and grey office, resenting the choices they made years ago. When it was finally his turn to meet with her, he shared his dream of becoming a doctor and attending a four-year University. She quickly replied to him saying, “You would be better off learning how to drive a truck, save your family a lot of money and heartache.” She explained that he was incapable and would be the disappointment of his family. Again, he was met with heartbreak. The same disbelief by someone who was meant to support students had resurfaced a near ten years later. He came home shattered and shared the interaction with his parents. They sat and pondered this new information, and gathered the words, “You’re never going to know unless you try.” And so he did.

When explaining the experience inside of formal education, he shared that “Whatever anyone else had to do, I had to do five times more. Even when I was going to school to be an eye doctor, I would write out my notes four or five times just so I could learn the material. I’d also look for patterns in things, to kind of help. There are different patterns in learning how to memorize different things.” During the latter end of University, he had been accepted into three different Schools of Optometry.

While constantly being exhausted from studying, he would often drive up into the lush, snow-covered, mountains and spend his free time skiing. On one of these trips, he was accompanied by his Academic Advisor. In the midst of incomprehensible medical jargon that could only be understood by a select few, he happily shared his acceptance of various Graduate Programs. Whilst reminiscing, he shared the hurtful words of his High School Guidance Counselor that almost held him back from attending college. His then Academic Advisor suggested that he, go and have a visit with her, and share the exceptionally good news of his program attendance in the fall. Debating whether or not to take his advice, he eventually made the trip. There he shared with her, “I know you probably do not remember me, but my name is Jeff Wilkinson, what you said to me years ago hurt me. I wanted to let you know that I am going to become an Eye Doctor. I have been accepted into three schools, it’s my passion.” Afterward, she unexpectedly apologized to him. He explained that particular interaction wasn’t a deal of pride but for his own confidence and accomplishment, but also in hopes that no other students’ ambitions would be shattered by the disbelief from that Guidance Counselor.

My dad was not motivated to become successful by anything other than the ability to provide for his family. He shared that “I have academically gone further than my classmates. I was able to become board-certified, which is three percent of all Eye Doctors.” For the first time, he was proud of his academic accomplishments. Later in his career, he was asked to speak in a lecture for the drug company Allergan which made medications, to other eye physicians. He was nervous about messing up in front of this professional crowd and scarred from PTSD. Despite the pressure, he was successful in the lecture. He shared, “If I know that I am an expert on the topic, I don’t care who it is, I can hold my own.” One of the most stressful experiences in his professional career was diagnosing the wife of a highly respected Malpractice Attorney with Glaucoma – an eye disease that can lead to vision loss. He explained that at that moment he felt like he was on the stand of an oak-filled courtroom being interrogated. After, his answers the Attorney thanked him for his professionalism and explanations.

Throughout his career, he has been able to find many opportunities to share his uniquities, even opening the eyes of those who are unaware of various learning disabilities. “You don’t have to value things you don’t have to work for. When you have to work 5 times harder than your peers, I am proud of what I have done. It has helped me give encouragement to other people” he shared. His success wasn’t just handed to him, it was a constant battle.

When reflecting on my own childhood, my dad has always been the biggest supporter of my academics. Helping me go above and beyond with school projects, from recycling used yogurt containers filled with clay to resemble indigenous yurts in a diorama to staying up into the dim hours of the night assisting my tear-filled self with math homework, and never forgetting to wish me luck on the ever so taunting spelling tests. I had never thought much of it. I never knew why he put so much effort into supporting me even when he was overwhelmed with tasks from work. Until, one day had the notion to ask him about his schooling experience. When I found out about his learning disability, every piece of encouragement, necessary or not, started to make sense. He didn’t want his kids to feel the same things he did. He always believed in us.

Respect is something that most people gain from their achievements and abilities, but for some, they have to fight for it. Sometimes the most seemingly typical people are really the ones who aren’t so typical. Someone who once possessed the title of “runt” now possessed the title of Doctor. No matter how noble or sought after, there is always a journey that leads that person to their titles of respect. A Doctorate is one of the most highly respected achievements, but to me, the title of “Dad,” is arguably the most respected.