Some students feel at ease surrounded by familiar letters and words, but Daniel Little (12) is at his happiest in the midst of numbers and mathematical operations.

Daniel discovered he had dyslexia in the summer before his freshman year. Common symptoms include difficulty reading and writing; Daniel has noticed these indicators through his tendency to read slowly and blend or switch words.

“It’s really affected him immensely in his academics,” his close friend Eric Andrus (12) said. “He always tells me about how hard studying and doing work can be.”

Despite these difficulties, as a result of his dyslexia, Daniel blossomed through STEM courses.

He found that he worked best with numbers and data, as dyslexic students often find their strengths in mathematics and science.

“I like STEM because, number-wise, it’s something I can comprehend,” Daniel Little (12) said. “It’s something that I know for sure can give me a definite answer.”

Over the years, Daniel has learned to love STEM, experimenting with different courses, like advanced calculus and marine biology. In particular, he excelled in AP Chemistry, which he took with his friend Rishi Chopra (12).

“He would literally do equations and formulas with the snap of a finger,” Rishi said. “He was able to get the most complicated problems done in a few minutes while the rest of us would take the class period.”

Over the past few years, Daniel has channelled his strengths towards electrical engineering.

“It’s hard for me to read and write in general,” he said. “I feel [dyslexia is] going to affect me that way. I want to become something in engineering, which means lots of write-ups, which is going to be painful. But it’s on a topic that I’ll actually enjoy.”

Another activity that sets Daniel at ease is athletics. Two of the primary sports in his life are golf and soccer, both of which he grew up playing.

Daniel fell into his position as soccer goalie when he was needed to fill in as goalkeeper. He and his teammates discovered that Daniel was adept at blocking shots, and since then, he has served as the goalie for Harker as well as his club team.

Daniel’s club teammates do not attend Harker, and he appreciates the exposure to different types of people as well as sees it as an opportunity to make more friends.

“It’s another family,” he said. “No matter what happens in the game, we’re always supportive of each other.”

Though he spends most of his time with soccer friends from outside of school, Daniel has formed close relationships and bonds with many of his Harker teammates.

“I played soccer my freshman year, and I really didn’t know anyone,” Rishi said. “He was the first guy who was warm and introduced me to the rest of the team.”