Sun Devil works around his dyslexia thanks to a mentor

When Ethan Van Aller graduated from high school, a lot of people told him he didn’t have what it would take to get a college degree because of his learning disability. 

Van Aller has dyslexia, a disability that affects his ability to read and write. Despite people telling him he couldn’t do it, Van Aller graduated from ASU with a 3.6 GPA after years of hard work. 

After giving college a shot two times before, Van Aller didn’t give up. In 2009, he went back to college again at Phoenix College and earned his associate degree. After that, he transferred to ASU and began working on his bachelor’s degree. Van Aller’s first degree was in technical communications. 

ASU grad student Ethan Van Aller

Van Aller says that his success is due in large part to the ASU Disability Resource Center and his mentor, Jacob Bunch, whom Van Aller met when he registered at the DRC for his accommodations. 

“At the time of my accommodations, I was only using audio textbooks because I had no idea about the other options. My disability resource counselor scheduled an appointment to meet with Jacob; this was, in my opinion, a significant turning point in my life.”

The knowledge and resources changed Van Aller’s life in so many different ways. 

“He did not just introduce me to new assistant technology, but he took the time to educate me on how to use them best. Jacob became my go-to person when I had questions about anything regarding accessibility. I mean, I had a lot of questions, and he would always do his best to help with them no matter the time of day,” Van Aller said. 

At one point during his college career, Van Aller says he wasn’t getting the best grades. In response to this, his mentor said something that really set him on the path to success. 

“Jacob told me something that I will never forget, and that was I was smart. Nobody ever told me that in a way that I believed it before, and I think I believed it because Jacob believed it. Jacob told me if I wanted to, I could get A’s in all my classes because I was smart, and I was putting the work and the time in. So, if I was not getting the grades I wanted then it was not because I was not smart enough but most likely I was not using my accommodations to their fullest potential, or maybe I needed new accommodations or to modify existing accommodations.”

Van Aller believes that one of the most important things Bunch did for him was to get to know him on a personal level. 

“He asked me questions about how I learn and what my strengths are, and then he would help me to come up with ways to work with my disability and not against it.”

Before the DRC, Van Aller always felt like everyone treated him differently because of his disability and he was even bullied for it in the past. Bunch, however, saw Van Aller for his personality and not his disability and gave him hope for the future. 

“Jacob has become a role model for me. I call him my superhero. Jacob was the first person that had a disability that I encountered using AT (assistant technology) in a professional setting. He gave me hope that I could have a successful life. He was also the first person to see past my disability in my life. My whole life, I never felt like I was good enough because of my disability. Throughout my education, I was made fun of because of my disability. Even the professionals I worked with throughout my education from elementary school to college always saw me as a person with a disability and treated me a little differently.”

Van Aller is currently in his last year of his master’s in social work at ASU and is on track to finish with a 4.0 GPA. Bunch helped Van Aller discover his love for helping people with disabilities and since graduating with his bachelor’s degree, Van Aller has gone on to mentor others.  

“Jacob empowered me and taught me how to be independent. He taught me that there is no such thing as normal. Everyone is different, and everybody needs help, and just because I need help does not make me any less than anyone else.”

If you or anyone you know might need accommodations for their disability, make an appointment with the DRC on any of the four ASU campuses.