On September 5, author and activist Jonathan Mooney spoke to an enthusiastic audience at Elmhurst College about learning differences and the importance of celebrating the strengths and gifts of all students, including those with disabilities.

Once considered “severely learning disabled,” Mooney, who is dyslexic, did not learn to read until he was 12. He went on to graduate from Brown University with an honors degree in English, and has become an activist for students with learning differences.

Mooney’s lecture was the first in Elmhurst College’s Education in Crisis lecture series, a yearlong look at the significant challenges facing American education. Other speakers in the series include education historian Diane Ravitch, veteran public school reformer Paul Vallas, and Pulitzer Prize–winning author and historian Taylor Branch.