Miss Massachusetts 2024 Kiersten Khoury, Former Lindamood-Bell Student, Ready to Shine at Miss America 2025

HINGHAM, Mass., Dec. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Lindamood-Bell student Kiersten Khoury, crowned Miss Massachusetts on June 22, 2024, is preparing to represent Massachusetts at the 2025 Miss America Pageant on January 5 in Orlando, Florida. An inspiring testament to perseverance and possibility, Ms. Khoury overcame her childhood struggles with dyslexia by learning to read and thrive at school.

Ms. Khoury has transformed her difficulty learning to read into passionate advocacy for literacy and education. Both on and off stage, she has shared her inspiring journey—from a student who faced challenges in every aspect of school to a seasoned pageant competitor—embodying determination, grit, and resilience. Diagnosed with dyslexia in the fifth grade, she spent a summer immersed in intensive reading instruction at Lindamood-Bell's Hingham, Massachusetts Learning Center. After her summer at Lindamood-Bell, she entered the sixth grade reading at a tenth-grade level. "Dyslexia doesn't just affect your English class," Ms. Khoury says. "It affects every class you take…Every area of school I struggled in because of dyslexia." As Miss Massachusetts, Ms. Khoury's community service initiative focuses on redefining dyslexia by "turning challenges into superpowers."

"Kiersten is a wonderful example of someone who has overcome learning challenges and achieved her dreams," said Lindamood-Bell Director of Communications Erin Bell. "We are so proud of her many accomplishments and wish her the best of luck at the pageant."

Find out more about Ms. Khoury's pageant journey and how she overcame dyslexia on her website at http://www.missmass.org/ or on her Instagram page @kiersten.khoury.

About Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes
Lindamood-Bell believes that all children and adults can learn to read and comprehend to their potential. For nearly 40 years, their evidence-based instruction has changed the lives of individuals with learning challenges such as dyslexia, ADHD, and autism. In addition to their 50 Learning Centers, they provide professional development for educators worldwide and engage in peer-reviewed research with universities, including MIT and Stanford. Visit www.lindamoodbell.com to learn more.

Contact: Erin Bell, Director of Communication, [email protected], (805) 541-3836

SOURCE Lindamood-Bell