Graduate Finds Inner Drive To Achieve

Despite Serious Learning Disabilities, Great Falls Teen Fulfills Dream of College

Josh Thaller shared the aspiration of many of his classmates at Langley High School: to go to a good college.

For the Great Falls teen, who struggles with serious learning disabilities, that dream was often in doubt. He had to work hard. He often woke up early to study before school and studied for hours in the evening. He went to summer school and retook tests.

On Monday morning, he joined his younger sister, Rachel, on a stage at the Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall and became a graduate of one of the nation's top high schools. In the fall, he will attend Lynchburg College.

"I had so much standing in my way," said Thaller, 19.

Now, the door to college is open. He looks forward to studying history and anthropology on a college campus that, he said, "looks like Disneyland."

Thaller's story is familiar to many students with learning disabilities who must work two or three times harder than their classmates, often with less results. Thaller and other students like him "never get to zone out or take time off," said Margaret Scheirer, his math teacher. "Day after day, year after year. . . . His attitude is amazing."

Thaller's struggles probably stem from an accident he had when he was 2. He fell and hit his head on a brick hearth, injuring his brain.

His family did not know anything was seriously wrong until he went to school and began having trouble. He repeated kindergarten, then first grade, until he was in the same grade as his younger sister. But he continued to lag far behind his peers. By the time he reached sixth grade, he was still reading on a first- or second-grade level.

Low scores on cognitive tests prompted many medical professionals and educators to say it would be impossible for Thaller to ever attend college. Many suggested he pursue a diploma with fewer requirements or transfer to a special school with a less academic focus.

Others encouraged him to keep trying. One influential school psychologist at Langley pointed out Thaller's strides and how far he had come. Teachers and counselors gave him extra support and time for review and practice. Thaller and his parents kept their eyes on a cap and gown.

A major breakthrough came in middle school. Thaller's mother would read him chapters from the Harry Potter series at night. He was so impatient for her to get to the next chapter that he started reading ahead, pushing himself to understand the vocabulary and follow the story.

After years of unsuccessful attempts, he could read. "From that point on, he blossomed," said his mother, Kate Thaller.