Matt H. Schneps
Harvard Laboratory for Visual Learning
Cambridge, MA USA
"You have to figure out what your bliss is, and then you have to go after it very intensely."
Career Roadmap
Matt H.'s work combines: Education, Science, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Once I figured out that I was dyslexic, having the label gave me something to tell people, but it also negatively impacted how they viewed me. That label automatically gave them an idea of what I can and can't do, which might not be applicable to me. All people saw was the label and inhibited how they interacted with me. People are more than just specific labels and stereotypes. I had to work very hard to make people understand there was more to me than the label.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Physics, General
CUNY City College
Doctorate
Physics, General
CUNY City College
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
Although he struggled all throughout school, his teachers and parents weren’t sure what the issue was, so he was left to navigate it on his own.
2.
He loved astronomy from a young age; when he was in high school, he planned on becoming an astronomy researcher and professor at a prestigious school.
3.
From there his railroad track got “twisty”: when he was applying to colleges, he was rejected from most of his dream schools because of his test scores.
4.
The only school that accepted him was MIT because they didn’t require standardized test scores.
5.
Even then, he still didn’t know the root cause of his struggles; he knew he was bright, but he could barely navigate the Dewey Decimal System in the library.
6.
It wasn’t until much later, when his daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia, that he started researching the condition and realized he had it as well.
7.
Although he pursued astrophysics for some time, his research now focuses on using technology to solve or remedy learning issues.
8.
He struggles with remembering names and incidents, but he’s used even this to his advantage—since he doesn’t remember his setbacks, he easily moves on from them.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
You're dyslexic.
How I responded:
Once I figured out that I was dyslexic, having the label gave me something to tell people, but it also negatively impacted how they viewed me. That label automatically gave them an idea of what I can and can't do, which might not be applicable to me. All people saw was the label and inhibited how they interacted with me. People are more than just specific labels and stereotypes. I had to work very hard to make people understand there was more to me than the label.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I struggled all throughout school and in many different areas of my life not knowing what my issue was. It wasn't until much later in life when my daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia that I realized that I had it too.