Evelyn Polk Green
Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA)
Chicago, IL USA
"Grab a hold of what you can make a difference with and what you can change, and the rest you can just let go."
Career Roadmap
Evelyn's work combines: Education, Non-Profit Organizations, and Teaching / Mentoring
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Before I was diagnosed with ADHD, I felt like I was trapped in this mind that couldn't get it together. Getting diagnosed, putting a name to what I was experiencing, and knowing that there were treatments to make it better made everything easier. I joined support groups and that helped me get over my frustrations with myself.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Sociology, General
Duke University
Graduate Degree
Early Childhood Education and Teaching
National Louis University
Graduate Degree
Educational Leadership and Administration, General
Northern Illinois University
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
Throughout elementary school and high school, she was an honor roll student.
2.
She received a full-ride scholarship to Duke University, but when she got there, she started struggling.
3.
She couldn’t figure out why she couldn’t focus and she didn’t know where to turn for help; ended up dropping out of college.
4.
Looking back, she recognizes her struggles were a result of her ADHD, but at the time, she only knew that she didn’t function the way other students functioned.
5.
Years later, her sons were diagnosed with ADHD, and she realized that she had it, too.
6.
Says that their diagnoses were a relief, more than anything; now that she’d identified the problem, she could figure out where to turn for help.
7.
She went back to school and completed not only her undergraduate education, but also two master’s degrees.
8.
Says her happiness and confidence comes from understanding that ADHD has as much to do with her successes as it does with her struggles.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
I feel like I am a crazy person.
How I responded:
Before I was diagnosed with ADHD, I felt like I was trapped in this mind that couldn't get it together. Getting diagnosed, putting a name to what I was experiencing, and knowing that there were treatments to make it better made everything easier. I joined support groups and that helped me get over my frustrations with myself.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I was a really good student all the way through high school, but when I got to college, I started struggling and I couldn't figure out why I lacked focus. I ended up dropping out of college because of this and only later figured out I have ADHD.
I got divorced and was raising my two sons who also have ADHD and learning disabilities. It was a struggle.