Caragan Olles started a charity when she was 10 years old, but that’s not the only way she’s different from the average child her age.
Olles has dyslexia. She struggled with math and reading assignments in elementary school, but teachers said she could understand higher-level concepts. “That’s what you get with dyslexia,” her mother told the Green Bay Press Gazette. “You get this weird combination of intelligence but not performing well in school functions.”
Fortunately, Olles had a phonics-based tutor from kindergarten through fifth grade. Then, when she was 10, she founded a charity with her 13-year-old brother, Carter, to help other dyslexic students afford tutors. At $70 an hour, and with three or four visits a week, tutoring costs can run about $10,000 a school year. Technological tools such as text-to-speech software or adaptive learning devices raise the cost even higher.
Estimates vary, but anywhere from 5% to 15% of the population is dyslexic. Struggling to read is the biggest problem, but trouble in school can cause other issues such as anxiety and aggression, and can hinder careers.
There’s no cure for the disorder, but, as Olles’ success shows, the right interventions can make all the difference.
Now Olles is 17 and about to start her senior year of high school. What began as a charity funded by bake sales and handmade bracelets has become an operation that’s raised over $170,000 and helped more than 2,500 dyslexic students in 11 states, mostly in Olles’ home state of Wisconsin. In addition to tutors, the charity puts on immersive two-hour dyslexia simulations to help parents and teachers of dyslexic students understand the disorder. Olles hopes one day to expand the group’s work to all 50 states and possibly abroad.
Olles was one of 10 K-12 students honored by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, including 17-year-old Joseph Voynik, who spent four years raising $600,000 to build a fully accessible baseball field for children with disabilities, and 11-year-old Samaia Goodrich, who started a charitable initiative when she was still in elementary school.
Maybe the kids are alright after all.
