'Keep going and remember you aren't alone': When David Hogg, newly elected VC of DNC shared his struggles with dyslexia
etimes.in | Feb 2, 2025, 10.15 PM IST
High school shooting survivor David Hogg has been elected Vice Chair of the DNC, perhaps one of the youngest ever to hold the position. Hogg shot to prominence after surviving the tragic 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. He went on to become a gun control activist and led several high profile protests and boycotts thereafter. His book that he co-authored with his sister Lauren Hogg - #NeverAgain: A New Generation Draws the Line, earned him widespread acclaim as it entered the New York Times Best Seller list. Very few people know that The Harvard University graduate has been an achiever all along despite his struggles with a learning disorder - dyslexia.
Hogg has shared about his learning disabilities, including dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and wrote on social media how he was unsure of making it to college.
Hogg's struggles with learning disorders
His early years in school were marked by challenges that made reading and writing more difficult compared to his peers. Diagnosed in kindergarten, he often felt like he was falling behind, unsure if he would ever make it to college.
His support system
Despite these struggles, Hogg was determined to push forward. His parents, including his mother, Rebecca Boldrick, a teacher in the Broward County public school system, and his father, Kevin Hogg, a former FBI agent, provided unwavering support. He also credits dedicated teachers who believed in his potential even when he doubted himself.
"There’s one person I wish I could thank more than anyone for making this win possible, but I can’t—my dad. Through your decades of service to our country as a teacher, Navy helicopter pilot, and FBI agent, you taught me the importance of public service and caring deeply about others from a young age. You were the best man I have ever known, and I hope that one day I can live to be even half the man you were. Thank you for getting me here," he wrote on X.
His interest in journalism led him to enroll at Stoneman Douglas High School, where he joined the school’s television production classes and worked as a Teenlink reporter for the Sun Sentinel.
The turning point
Hogg’s life took an unexpected turn following the shooting at his high school. Thrust into the national spotlight, he co-founded the March for Our Lives movement and quickly became one of the most recognizable young activists in America.
Even though Hogg was accepted into multiple universities, he took a gap year to focus on the 2018 midterm elections before enrolling at Harvard University in 2019. In May 2023, he graduated, proving to himself and others that learning disabilities do not define one’s potential.
The inspiring message
"No matter how long your journey is compared to others you just have to keep going and remember you aren’t alone. What helped me the most was supportive teachers and parents who never gave up on me even when I wanted to.
"The biggest obstacle to your success is often simply believing in yourself. I would not be here if it wasn’t for so many people who believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself.
"Unfortunately my story is the exception and not the rule. I had the privilege of going to well funded and staffed public schools. Far too few don’t have that privilege. That’s part of why leaders we deserve endorsed candidates fight for more funding for our schools and teacher pay," his X post read.
Hogg has shared about his learning disabilities, including dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and wrote on social media how he was unsure of making it to college.
Hogg's struggles with learning disorders
His early years in school were marked by challenges that made reading and writing more difficult compared to his peers. Diagnosed in kindergarten, he often felt like he was falling behind, unsure if he would ever make it to college. A decade ago I was a freshman in high school struggling to catch up as I had struggled with Dyslexia and ADD since kindergarten. I didn’t think I was going to get into college. Ten years later I’ve graduated Harvard and today I’m teaching my first seminar there. Don’t give up.
— David Hogg 🟧 (@davidhogg111) March 22, 2024
His support system
Despite these struggles, Hogg was determined to push forward. His parents, including his mother, Rebecca Boldrick, a teacher in the Broward County public school system, and his father, Kevin Hogg, a former FBI agent, provided unwavering support. He also credits dedicated teachers who believed in his potential even when he doubted himself."There’s one person I wish I could thank more than anyone for making this win possible, but I can’t—my dad. Through your decades of service to our country as a teacher, Navy helicopter pilot, and FBI agent, you taught me the importance of public service and caring deeply about others from a young age. You were the best man I have ever known, and I hope that one day I can live to be even half the man you were. Thank you for getting me here," he wrote on X.
There’s one person I wish I could thank more than anyone for making this win possible, but I can’t—my dad.
— David Hogg 🟧 (@davidhogg111) February 2, 2025
Through your decades of service to our country as a teacher, Navy helicopter pilot, and FBI agent, you taught me the importance of public service and caring deeply about… pic.twitter.com/FZUSLLVFG6
His interest in journalism led him to enroll at Stoneman Douglas High School, where he joined the school’s television production classes and worked as a Teenlink reporter for the Sun Sentinel.
The turning point
Hogg’s life took an unexpected turn following the shooting at his high school. Thrust into the national spotlight, he co-founded the March for Our Lives movement and quickly became one of the most recognizable young activists in America. Even though Hogg was accepted into multiple universities, he took a gap year to focus on the 2018 midterm elections before enrolling at Harvard University in 2019. In May 2023, he graduated, proving to himself and others that learning disabilities do not define one’s potential.
The inspiring message
"No matter how long your journey is compared to others you just have to keep going and remember you aren’t alone. What helped me the most was supportive teachers and parents who never gave up on me even when I wanted to.
"The biggest obstacle to your success is often simply believing in yourself. I would not be here if it wasn’t for so many people who believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself.
"Unfortunately my story is the exception and not the rule. I had the privilege of going to well funded and staffed public schools. Far too few don’t have that privilege. That’s part of why leaders we deserve endorsed candidates fight for more funding for our schools and teacher pay," his X post read.