Through My Lens – Opening Session 2025 National Conference

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See below for the bios of the Opening Session “Through My Lens” participants. We anticipate the 2025 IDA National Conference Opening Session will be available to all in 2026 on IDA TV: https://idatv.org

The silent “voices” video created by members of the 2025 Teen Board was shown before the discussion began. This video is housed on the IDA Georgia YouTube Channel here. 

“Through My Lens” The Student: Finnegan Gawley

Finnegan Gawley was diagnosed with dyslexia in 2nd grade when a teacher went out on a limb and advised his parents to get him tested.  He then attended The Schenck School, where he was surrounded by experts in the Orton-Gillingham Approach. During his four years there, he learned to read and write and discover dyslexia as a superpower rather than an embarrassment.  After building his skills and confidence, he went on to King’s Ridge Christian School, where he is currently an 11th-grade honor student thriving in honors and AP Classes. Along the way, he discovered his passion for acting and holds the State Championship title for Men’s Quartet for 2 years running.  Finn is proud to have served on the IDA Teen Board for the past 2 years and enjoys hosting the peer podcast project. He is a leader among his peers in the classroom, a varsity tennis player, and leads a weekly Bible study for his grade level. He was beyond honored to participate in this important event in hopes that sharing his story of navigating life with dyslexia would help others on their own journeys.

“Through My Lens” The Young Adult: Shoshana Holt-Auslander

Shoshana Holt-Auslander is working to address educational disparities among students with learning disabilities, particularly for students from underserved communities. While working for Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes, she became acutely aware of how few students of color and underprivileged families benefit from the services offered by the for-profit sector. Her experience as a leader at Eye to Eye, a nonprofit organization focused on near-peer mentoring for students with learning differences, including dyslexia and autism spectrum disorder, has shown her the power of that approach. Building on these experiences, Shoshana is eager to use her time in the Scholars program to build a program that mobilizes the principles and practices of near-peer mentoring and universal learning that will allow all students to flourish.

“Through My Lens” The Parent: Teresa Kalmbach, Ed.S.

Teresa Kalmbach’s journey with dyslexia began with her third child, Jason. In fourth grade, he was diagnosed with dyslexia after years of struggling to develop literacy skills. Despite his intelligence and dedication to learning, reading, and writing remained constant challenges. By eighth grade, the family turned to Lindamood-Bell in Atlanta for intensive intervention. After four months of daily instruction, Jason unlocked the literacy code, and his confidence and academic growth soared. He graduated high school strong, earned a bachelor’s degree in information technology while working in South Korea, and now works as a cybersecurity professional in Japan.

Jason’s dyslexia changed more than his life—it changed hers. She left a career in pediatric nursing to become a dual-certified educator with a specialist degree, dedicated to teaching students with language-based learning disabilities. She now serves as a 6th-grade teacher at Roberts Academy at Mercer University, a specialized school for students with dyslexia.

The journey continues with her grandson, Eli, who received an early dyslexia diagnosis from the University of Georgia at age seven. Thanks to early identification and intervention, he is now thriving at Roberts Academy at Florida Southern College.

Dyslexia is lifelong, but this family’s story transformed struggle into advocacy. They remain committed to ensuring that every child has access to early and effective literacy instruction. Success over struggle is not only Jason’s story—it is their family’s mission.

“Through My Lens” The Classroom Teacher: Allison Taylor, M.Ed.

Allison Taylor is a classroom teacher in Georgia with over 20 years of experience in early childhood education and currently teaches second grade. A passionate advocate for structured literacy, she emphasizes systematic and explicit instruction in her daily teaching and in the professional learning she shares with other educators. Allison believes that lives truly depend on literacy, and she finds joy in helping every child discover the confidence and power that comes with being a reader.

“Through My Lens” The Administrator: Holly Brookins, Ph.D.

Dr. Holly Brookins is an experienced school leader in Georgia with more than a decade of proven success in driving academic achievement, strengthening school culture, and fostering impactful learning communities.

During her tenure as assistant principal at Morningside Elementary (2016–2020), Dr. Brookins spearheaded a partnership with Dyslexia Resource and Georgia ETA to train teachers in the Orton-Gillingham Approach. She also brought the Educational Advisory Foundation on board as a partner to provide tutoring for students who needed extra support. Additionally, she partnered with Made by Dyslexia, hosting a UK team that filmed Morningside educators using the Orton-Gillingham Approach in the classroom. This footage was subsequently featured on the organization’s website to promote teacher training globally.

As principal at Glennwood Elementary in City Schools of Decatur (2020–2025), Dr. Brookins led her school through the dyslexia pilot and served on the City Schools of Decatur Dyslexia Task Force. She secured grants and partnerships to train nearly 200 metro-area teachers in the 70-hour Orton-Gillingham training. Under her leadership, Glenwood Elementary earned both the Beating the Odds award and the Silver Achievement award from the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement.

Currently serving as principal of Burgess-Peterson Academy in Atlanta Public Schools, Dr. Brookins is excited to continue championing early literacy through long-standing strategic partnerships with Reading is Essential for All People (REAP) and Reading Universe. She is deeply committed to advancing literacy, instructional excellence, and strong community collaboration to ensure every student thrives and every student learns to read.