Issue 28: Turning My Struggles into Strength: My Journey with Dyslexia and Building UK Country Hats | Emma Chapman

For as long as I can remember, words have been both my biggest challenge and my greatest teacher. Growing up with dyslexia shaped so much of who I am today, not just the way I learn, but the way I see the world, the way I solve problems, and the way I connect with people.

School

When I was at school, dyslexia wasn’t something people understood very well. There wasn’t much support or awareness around how it affected learning, and for me, that made things even harder. I often had someone sit beside me in class to help me write things down. To other students, that made me stand out. It looked like I couldn’t do my own work, like I wasn’t capable, and because of that, I was bullied. I remember how isolating that felt. It wasn’t that I didn’t understand what was being taught; it was that I processed information differently. But school systems back then weren’t built for people who think differently. They were built for one way of learning, one way of testing, one way of being “smart.” And I didn’t fit that box.

GCSE

When GCSEs came around, I didn’t get the results I hoped for. It felt like proof of what people had said, that I wasn’t good enough. But deep down, I knew grades weren’t the full story. I had drive, creativity, and determination, things no exam could measure. So, I decided to keep pushing forward anyway, finding my way in the working world.

I had drive, creativity, and determination - things no exam could measure.

College

After school, I went to college, not because it was easy, but because I refused to let dyslexia stop me from trying. I wanted to learn, grow, and prove to myself that I could succeed in my own way. To support myself, I worked two jobs, one as a dog groomer and another part-time in a pet shop. I’ve always loved animals, so even though the work was hard, it didn’t feel like a burden. It was my way of taking control of my future.

Eventually, that part-time job at the pet shop turned into something much bigger. I started working there full-time and worked my way up to become Assistant Manager. For someone who had been told I wasn’t capable of much, that felt like a huge milestone. It was proof that my work ethic, not my spelling or reading, was what really mattered.

Biggest Fear

Facing My Biggest Fear. After some time, I had to move on for health reasons and took a new job, one that terrified me: an office job. The very idea of working in an office, where reading and writing were essential, made my stomach twist. I knew it would be hard. I knew I’d need extra help. But I took the job anyway, determined to push myself beyond the limits I’d been told I had. And something amazing happened. Even though I struggled with reading emails, writing reports, and keeping up with paperwork, I made it work. I learned to ask for help, to use the tools available to me, and to focus on what I was good at.