RECORDING: https://youtu.be/YUTiIM2VOZY
The host of our IDA-GA Conversations, Board Member Janet Street, will speak with Derrick L. McCollum about his life’s journey and lessons learned. We appreciate Mr. McCollum’s willingness to share his story so that he might be able to help others who have a similar story. Derrick’s mantra is, “Living with Dyslexia is not just an everyday journey, it’s a moment-by-moment journey- learning how to live in each moment.”
Derrick L. McCollum- Life Sketch
Derrick was born and raised in Philadelphia by both parents. He is the middle of three, with an older brother and a younger sister. During his upbringing, he witnessed and experienced domestic violence towards his mother by his father, and towards his brother and himself. When he turned 18, he graduated from high school and joined the United States Marines. During that time, he got married and had one daughter named Danielle. After serving three years in the Marines, he was honorably discharged to pursue a career in law enforcement. He became a police officer and quickly moved up the ranks as a detective, working in a special investigative unit of the narcotics division. He was assigned to the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) for four years as an undercover agent profiling some of the largest domestic drug suppliers. His career ended, and unfortunately, so did his marriage. He developed severe depression and made two attempts to end his life. With the support of family and friends, he regained control of his life and began his career working for a nonprofit social service agency, first as a group counselor for boys, then as a behavior specialist for students with behavioral and emotional challenges, and then as the school’s dean of students.
During this time, he met his wife, Sonya, at work, and they married in 1995. They have three children: Sian (26), Sye (20), and Derrick II (16). In 1997, his wife started her private practice as a mental health therapist and soon afterwards his wife realized that it would benefit the married couples if there was a male perspective in her sessions. Derrick joined Sonya in one counseling session for a married couple and after that session, they realized that it was divine providence for them to provide marriage counseling together. Realizing that Derrick needed the proper credentials and certifications to practice, he began his continuing educational journey at the age of 45 and returned to school.
During the first semester of obtaining his associate’s degree, he realized that he was struggling with math and reading assignments. At the same time, his daughter Sian was in middle school, and the school notified Derrick and Sonya that she was having difficulty with her schoolwork. After several school meetings and testing, Sian was diagnosed with Dyslexia. The educational specialists shared that Dyslexia can be hereditary, so after assessing both parents, Derrick was diagnosed with Dyslexia too.
While living with the diagnosis of Dyslexia, Derrick continued his education, completing his Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work. Currently, Derrick and his wife are second-year PhD students in Social Work, with a specialization in advanced clinical practice and supervision. He has a private mental health practice for men and remains in private practice with his wife seeing married couples and families.
Sian graduated high school with honors, went to undergraduate school, and received her Bachelor of Social Work. She continued her education at the University of Michigan, receiving her Master of Social Work in 2021 and is currently the social emotional wellness program director for a nonprofit agency in Kansas City, Missouri. She also provides mental health counseling for teens and young adults under her parents’ private practice.
After Derrick was diagnosed with Dyslexia, he began his journey of discovering many unanswered questions. In his discovery he gained answers around why he acted out in school, why he avoided reading out loud or avoided doing math in front of the class, why his interpersonal relationships as a teen and throughout adulthood were unhealthy, why he had low-self-esteem and low self-worth, and why was he depressed and attempted suicide.
As a mental health professional, he does see other comorbidities along with Dyslexia with his clients. For the past 15 years, Derrick and Sian have learned to manage their Dyslexia with the support of their family. Derrick’s mantra is, “Living with Dyslexia is not just an everyday journey, it’s a moment-by-moment journey- learning how to live in each moment.” Derrick and Sian are both advocates for Dyslexia and share their experiences with others.