William Carter: From 'Second Class Learner' to Fulbright Scholar at UC Berkeley

William Carter's journey is one of the most remarkable transformations in recent educational history — from a boy who could not read until age 13, who was told he was 'stupid,' and who was sent to courses on how to avoid a criminal life, to a Fulbright Scholar pursuing a PhD at the University of California, Berkeley. His story is a powerful testament to the idea that dyslexia, properly understood, is not a limitation but a different way of thinking that, with the right support, can lead to extraordinary achievements.

## A Childhood of Isolation

Growing up in Southwark, inner-city London, William's early school years were defined by confusion and pain. Diagnosed with severe dyslexia and dyspraxia — though he didn't know it at the time — he struggled to read, write, and make sense of classroom instruction. At primary school, he was placed in the bottom set in every subject and was openly mocked by classmates for his reading ability.

The emotional toll was devastating. He was referred to children's mental health services because of what clinicians described as his 'deep feeling of isolation and loneliness' caused by falling behind other pupils and 'never being able to fully participate in lessons.' His school attendance plummeted. Around the same time, he was sent on courses on 'how to avoid a criminal life.'

William began to associate his academic difficulties with the colour of his skin. 'I remember being a young child and trying to scrub the pigment off my skin,' he later recalled, 'as I desperately tried to work out what was causing this alienation, what was causing my seeming inability to learn and understand the world.'

He felt like a 'second class learner,' a feeling amplified outside school gates where more affluent parents seemed to be 'priming their kids to be lawyers, doctors, and engineers, and wanted the rest of us, those with learning differences and those racialised into deviancy, to just not ruin it for them.'

## The Diagnosis That Changed Everything

Despite trying desperately to learn, William's reading and writing difficulties persisted. Because his grades were passable — not failing catastrophically — he was not considered at risk enough for additional educational support. He fell through the cracks of a system that measures danger by failure rather than by struggle.

Eventually, a specialist saw him and delivered the diagnosis that would reframe his entire life: severe dyslexia. 'Learning how to read and write made the world more intelligible to me,' William said, 'and, ultimately, made me more intelligible to the world. Fundamentally, dyslexia made me who I am today.'

## The Turnaround

With a diagnosis and proper support, William began a remarkable ascent. Teaching assistants helped him through nearly every class during his GCSEs — support he credits as essential to his survival in secondary education. 'People often look down at people with teaching assistants or view them as unnecessary or a waste of money,' he said. 'But without them, I wouldn't have got through secondary school.'

He graduated with some of the best A-level results his school had ever seen, despite having been on free school meals throughout his entire time at school. He received the London Schools and the Black Child 'Outstanding Achievement Award' at the Houses of Parliament.

## Academic Excellence at Bristol

William went on to study Politics and International Relations at the University of Bristol. There, he didn't just survive — he thrived. He attended numerous international conferences, spoke at the European Parliament, served as a paid keynote motivational speaker at a major EU symposium, and received several University awards for academic performance. He graduated with First-Class Honours.

In 2018, he was one of only 10 young people selected to represent the 1.5 billion young adults of the Commonwealth at the Commonwealth Parliamentarian Forum. He was chosen by 90 of the most senior politicians from across the 54-nation group to help deliver the closing remarks on the future of the Commonwealth.

His modest background — growing up in inner-city London on free school meals — led to him being named one of the top 10 undergraduate students in the country at the UK Social Mobility Awards.

## The Fulbright Journey

William is now pursuing a PhD in Political Geography at the University of California, Berkeley, where he is investigating the origins of racialisation in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. He received the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to study at Berkeley, along with the 'alumni award' — the highest honour the Fulbright Commission can bestow.

He hopes to become a professor of Political Theory and Black Geographies before entering politics, where he wants to do more to normalise the success of underrepresented groups.

## A Message About Systems

William's reflections on his journey go beyond personal triumph. He challenges the narrative that individual success proves the system works.

'The fact that I, through luck and the support of others, made it in spite of social-economic barriers shouldn't justify our system and society,' he said. 'Instead, it should challenge its core assumption — the false idea that those few who succeed are examples of a system working rather than a system in disrepair.'

For years, William felt his role at school was to stay quiet and let the 'more intelligent' pupils learn. 'Mindsets can be as important as structures and institutions when it comes to young people struggling with specific learning differences and disabilities,' he said.

His story is a reminder that dyslexia does not determine what a person can achieve — but the systems around them very much do.

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*Source: [University of Bristol — Inspirational student: 'Dyslexia made me who I am today'](https://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2021/march/inspirational-student-learnt-to-read-aged-13.html)*