We’re looking forward to introducing you to Sarah Fudge. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Sarah, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
I am incredibly proud of the life I have built for myself in Old Saybrook, CT. This town is not an easy town to move to as the housing market continues to remain extremely expensive. I am aware I live in a dream location. I bought my home before the pandemic and refinanced when the rates dipped. I slowly have transformed my home into a sanctuary for myself and my son.
With that, I have built a solid foundation to create my own little bubble that only a handful of people have access to. I always had the dream of creating a place where I live off the land that surrounds me. This dream started to unfurl when my son convinced me one afternoon to get six little chicks. We raised them, built a coop and now we have fresh eggs every morning. We even share with the neighbors at no cost. It’s our way of showing our love and appreciation for our neighbors.
A typical weekend at home involves the back door slightly ajar so that my two little black cats, Pip and Poe can roam freely with the chickens. There is always the smell of fresh coffee in the air. Soft Indie music playing in the background. I do live in a seaside community, and I am lucky to live near the beach and the most picturesque saltwater marsh. I watch the sunset on ocean most nights, just marveling in the feeling of being incredibly thankful for the gift of where I live.
It’s important to always surround yourself with nature and beauty. Even as we interview, I glance into my backyard at the abundance of autumn and the colors it has to offer. It brings me so much joy.
I do have to note that I am also lucky enough to have a small patch of woods in the back my property. Deer, foxes, coyotes and wild turkeys frequent its safety and sanctuary. The best part is that my best friend lives on the other side of the woods. It’s our secret passageway to one other. I throw on my cowgirl boots and walk the quiet path to her house. I love emerging from the woods and surprising her. I chuckle when I do spook her, which is always the goal. I guess our secret path is not so secret now.
Next steps for my little heaven on earth is finding natural ways to collect rainwater, beekeeping and planting seasonal gardens and flowers the explode with color in the spring and summer months.
When people come into my home, they feel my love and light I provide here. If you are welcomed into my home, you are considered my family.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My story has always been an interesting one. I cannot introduce what my business is without explaining my own struggles that led me to where I now. My earlier obstacles are the foundation to why my business is so successful now.
When I was in third grade, I was identified with a learning disability. At the time, the special education system did not offer much support except for reteaching skills, which I didn’t need. Later in life, I was identified with ADHD and my learning disability was really dyslexia. I truly struggled in school because I wasn’t receiving the instruction I required to overcome my dyslexia. Luckily, I was able to watch my mom and dad advocate throughout school. It was truly inspiring to witness and changed my course in life forever.
Today, I am the Founder and Director of Saybrook Reading, an education consulting business located in Old Saybrook, CT. My business is truly dynamic. I have several certifications that allow me to support students, families and school districts all over New England.
My main goal is providing students who struggle with reading difficulties with highly structured, diagnostic and prescriptive reading instruction. Every lesson is specifically designed for each child’s needs. This feat is accomplished through the Orton-Gillingham (OG) approach. It should be noted that this is not an easy certification to acquire. It takes several years and perseverance to complete. More recently, I finished my Certified level, which is an additional three years to complete. Becoming certified in the OG approach frankly makes me a dyslexia expert!
Another service I offer is working with parents and school education team through educational advocacy. I pride myself on bridging gaps in a peaceful and collaborative way. We enjoy working with school districts, especially the teachers who are in the trenches every day.
At my practice, I always offer free consultations. During these consultations I listen to the needs of the families and offer ways I can help. This is a unique way for me to connect face to face with families. Often these consultations lead to an extensive educational assessment of the child. These assessments directly assist families gaining a clearer understanding of their child’s strengths and weaknesses as a reader. We have highly qualified practitioners who conduct these evaluations as well as present our findings to the child’s educational team.
I believe Saybrook Reading has the most OG Associates in the state of Connecticut outside a private school setting. That is quite the accomplishment and speaks volumes of our work. Saybrook Reading has many highly trained Reading Practitioners who also have various certifications in teaching such as, special education, reading consulting and reading intervention as well as holding the associate level in Orton-Gillingham.
People turn to us for help. Families quickly learn we offer so much more. We are a part of an incredible network of professionals, all with the common goal of acquiring the best support for a child who is struggling.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
That I am not stupid.
Sadly, I heard this in the schools I was enrolled in. My siblings teased me because I learned differently and had an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). I know this was just sibling banter, but it always stuck with me. It held me back and made me more reserved throughout my childhood.
From a young age, I looked at the world in an entirely different way compared to my family and friends. I always knew I was special. Most are surprised to learn that there wasn’t much support for me to go to college. I decided to change that narrative and applied for several colleges on my own. I felt I had something to prove, it was time to show how intelligent I really was. I was pleased to find out that I was accepted to all the colleges I applied to.
As I went through college, I quickly learned how my wit truly started to be exposed and cracked open by classmates and professors. I worked hard to overcome my dyslexia as well as succeed in all my classes. My creativity flourished at a rapid rate as I surrounded myself in a sanctuary of development and learning. I was forever ignited and that desire to learn.
I will never stop seeking knowledge and wisdom.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I am incredibly resilient. However, I am this way because I have been tested by many challenges that made me question my own abilities and resilience.
A pivotal moment that stays with me is when I was in college. I was in my third year, and it was time to take my teacher certification exam. I studied hard for weeks. When the day of the test arrived; I felt prepared. However, I was going to find out very soon that I was not prepared for the setting I was about to be shuffled into. I walked into a large gymnasium with about 75-100 other test takers. I was glued my seat, sweating, scared, already feeling inadequate.
Suddenly, the test administrator finished the directions and massive collective of papers flipping and scribbling pencils ensued. It was a test taking paper frenzy. I was incredibly nervous, distracted and completely lost in the panic of the other test takers around me. I shut down. I knew when I left that room that I had failed the exam.
A few weeks later, I received the notice in the mail. In big bold black letters printed at the top, “NO PASS”. I went to my college guidance counselor the next day and shared my disappointment. I opened to her and disclosed my test taking struggles. Instead of being met with warmth and compassion, she told me I may want to consider giving up on my pursuits in teaching. I was in shock and didn’t think I heard her correctly. She repeated,
“Sarah, it might be time to give up on teaching”. There was a solemn pause. I told her that I was going to find a way. I walked out of her room and never sought her advice again.
Instead of becoming angry. I took this as a challenge. I knew that my dyslexia and ADHD got the best of me. After some research, I was able to find an alternative testing site in a different part of the state. The maximum amount of test takers was ten. Each test taker was given a small cubicle, and all the tests were on the computer, which improved my writing output tremendously.
A few weeks later, I got the familiar envelope in the mail. I scrambled to open the paper, but this time in bold, black and white letters was “PASS”.
This would be a different story if I listened to the guidance counselor.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
I have worked hard to keep my network of friends very tight. My close friends are my family. I only let people in who I can really trust. I know I have strong intuition about people, and I listen to that now.
Intuition is very important here. I think people should start trusting in their intuition more and see where it leads them. I think they will find that they too should be careful about who should be allowed access to them. Too many people share an overabundance of their lives on social media, I do think that too much access to anyone is not a good thing.
With that said, my closest friends would probably first talk about my silliness. Finding laughter in life matters significantly to me. I love laughing, pulling pranks and jokes. I enjoy looking at life with love and light, and I do think that this can be contagious.
My friends would also share that I am a good mom and that my son is the most important human in my life. I love our dynamic and I feel incredibly blessed to have such an intelligent son exploring this life with me.
They would also say I am scrappy. I have experienced a lot of pain in my earlier years of life. I have taken this pain and turned it into an incredible drive to be successful and happy. I will always find a way when faced with a challenge. I have had the door shut in my face many times, but I still didn’t give up.
Lastly, and most importantly, they would say my love of nature is a focal point in my life. I make sure that I take time to be outside. My home is in very peaceful and serene neighborhood. I am always out hiking, camping, running, horseback riding, skiing as well as finding unique little crevices of the earth to explore. I also have an amazing hammock in my backyard that I enjoy stargazing in or just taking a moment of pause.
I also think they would summarize that I am a genuine and authentic person.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
That nothing is permanent. That we should always be looking for ways to change and grow, even if it feels uncomfortable. So many people do not reach their full potential in this life because they are scared. Scared of what? Failing? If you fail, you try again. Obstacles are placed in our path for a reason. If everything was easy, people would be incredibly different. In my opinion, we would be incredibly boring and non-dynamic.
I really enjoy listening to people speak about their journey. Their strengths, weaknesses, challenges and successes. Sometimes I learn valuable lessons from them, and then I apply these lesson to my own life. Other times, I offer advice from my own experiences. It’s a beautiful give and take of all our life lessons we have learned, collaborating.
I surround myself with like-minded people who think the same way. It reassures of the fluidity in this world. Why not embrace fluidity instead of becoming stagnant and settling?
I know I always will chase personal growth and change.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.saybrookreading.com
- Instagram: saybrook_reading
- Linkedin: Sarah Fudge
- Facebook: Saybrook Reading
- Other: TikTok, dyslexia stories
Image Credits
Patrick Colquhoun Photography
www.pc-foto.com
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