Saints Off the Hill: Candid Talk about Living with Dyslexia

When Isabella Papov ’18 returned to Canterbury recently to speak with students, she shared more than memories—she shared her journey living with dyslexia, offering a highly personal message of courage and resilience.

As she stood before a packed Maguire Auditorium for her Saints Off the Hill presentation, Bella was struck by the irony that the last time she had to speak at Canterbury—as valedictorian at her graduation—she did everything in her power to get out of it. “My dilemma was that I could not read,” Bella shared. “It had been my biggest secret all my life: I struggled with learning to read. I remember how embarrassed I was in grade school that I could not move up from the lowest reading level, and my anxiety about being called on to read aloud in class.”

Despite her secret, Bella ended up making that valedictory speech after accomplishing amazing things on the hilltop. “I was determined to hide it and found ways to work around my learning differences,” she explained. “I spent exorbitant amounts of time studying and memorizing words, and my strategy worked. By the time I got to Canterbury, I had developed the grit to keep at it until I found a way to succeed—even if it did not come naturally to me.” 

Despite her success, Bella said, she suffered from what she described as imposter syndrome. “If you have not heard of this before, imposter syndrome is essentially a strong self-doubt of your abilities despite evidence to the contrary, and that self-doubt is rooted in shame that you are not who everyone thinks you are.”

When she finally worked up the courage to ask for help, Bella felt relieved to hear a diagnosis for her learning challenges. “I will never forget the validation I felt when I was finally diagnosed with dyslexia. The psychologist told me he was shocked that I had made it through kindergarten without the diagnosis, much less high school.” That discovery opened up access to resources for dyslexic students and allowed her to better adapt her study habits accordingly. 

The experience also made Bella realize the importance of sharing her story. “Acknowledging my reading difficulty taught me many things,” she said. “It taught me to embrace being vulnerable despite what I thought others would think. It allowed me to work through my imposter syndrome and realize my ‘secret’ has made me who I am. And it has led me to my career. I will soon be attending medical school at Temple University. My goal is to help patients uncover and legitimize symptoms they have normalized so that they can live healthier and happier lives.”

Her words were highly inspirational for Rahee “Ren” Kim ’25, who introduced Bella before her talk. “I am in awe of her continuous dedication. Ms. Papov’s story of vulnerability and empowerment was incredibly helpful in providing comfort and reassurance to us for our journey to college and beyond,” she said.

Bella left students with important advice as they face big decisions in the months and years ahead. “As you start your next adventure, take the pressure off yourself to have it all figured out,” she told them. “Make one decision at a time, and choose the option that is not influenced by what you think you should be doing but by what you are passionate about.”

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