Brennen Drysdale began at Radcliffe in 1998 after struggling with reading and grammar, and was soon diagnosed with dyslexia. Today, he is enrolled in his second master’s program at King’s College in London, studying geopolitics with a focus on natural resources.
Drysdale’s favorite memory of his time at Radcliffe is the hands-on learning activities, including writing in Tang (and then being able to eat it!)
“I don’t think I understood how influential and significant my time at Radcliffe was until the later half of my undergraduate degree,” Drysdale said. “Radcliffe gave me the tools and support I needed to be able to function and succeed in high school and college. It was up to me to figure out a way to see my dyslexia as a strength instead of a weakness, which was only made possible by my time at Radcliffe and the tools and lessons I received there.”
After graduating from Radcliffe, Drysdale went on to The Gunston School and then to the University of Rhode Island where he received a bachelor of arts in political science with minors in history and international relations. From there, he received a master’s degree from University of Kent’s Brussels School of International Studies in international conflict and security.
“Radcliffe taught me many things, but the most important and the one that has stuck with me throughout my life was that it’s ok to be different. I have the ability to look back now and realize that my unique attribute gives me a competitive advantage in the way I think,” Drysdale said. “An advantage in the sense that I perceive the world, as well as problems, different from individuals who were educated in the standard system of education in the United States. This would not be possible if I had not embraced the idea that being different was positive. As I look back now, if I had the opportunity to get rid of my dyslexia, I wouldn’t because I not only enjoy being different but benefit from it as well.”