Recently on The "Wake Up With Dee Morning Show" Host Dr. Dee Dawkins Haigler spoke with Miss Georgia Teen 2024, who turned a second-grade dyslexia diagnosis into a statewide screening law and a $140,000 nonprofit, Carrington Manous, about her story during Dyslexia Awareness Month.
“When I heard that I had dyslexia, I was like, okay, how am I going to tell my friends this?” Ms. Manous said.
Diagnosed with phonological dyslexia in 2013 at Galloway School, Ms. Manous attended the Schenck School in Sandy Springs, which specializes in dyslexia and offers scholarships. She lobbied state Sen. Gloria Butler for Senate Bill 48, securing $3.5 million for free K-3 dyslexia screening across Georgia.
“Your peers, they can be going in a straight line, but you may have to go like in a zigzag way, but you’ll go to the same destination,” Ms. Manous said.
An honor student, she uses tools like Grammarly and extended-time accommodations. Woodward’s transition program supported her shift to mainstream classes. Mississippi State University awarded a full scholarship with tutoring; Ms. Manous will study international business to grow Carrington Cares globally.
She also placed top 11 at Miss Teen America, performing dance, her lifelong talent. She explained how Pageantry built public-speaking confidence she once lacked.
To listen to the full interview, click the link above.