Stephanie Ruhle’s name doesn’t seem to belong on that list at first. She’s a put-together newswoman who never showed signs of any troubles during her expert reports. No one, not her fans or co-anchors knew she was facing an uphill battle. Stephanie revealed in a heartfelt post that she has dyslexia. She didn’t even realize it until her son was diagnosed and his symptoms felt similar to hers.
She thought about the struggles of him and students like him in school one day on a plane ride. It made her put out a heartfelt social media post. It encouraged them to keep trying and reminded them they were not alone.
She thought about the struggles of him and students like him in school one day on a plane ride. It made her put out a heartfelt social media post. It encouraged them to keep trying and reminded them they were not alone.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00But you just feel seen and you feel connected and you don't feel alone
00:03And it's that boost of confidence that makes you feel like I can do this thing
00:08Stephanie rule felt alone for years
00:10She felt like the only one who was considered smart in her early years yet struggled with reading comprehension when she got to school
00:18It didn't get better when she started working. She became a successful finance salesman and a newswoman
00:24This was despite fighting an invisible struggle
00:27It wasn't until her son began to suffer the same difficulties that she realized what was going on
00:33Keep watching as Stephanie finally opens up about her illness diagnosis
00:38Her early life Stephanie was born December 24th
00:431975 to Frank and Louise rule she grew up in Park Ridge, New Jersey and attended Park Ridge High School
00:49She graduated from Lehigh University
00:51With a bachelor's in international business in
00:541997 she got a chance to intern for Merrill Lynch when she was at school while she was completing her studies there
01:01She was also given a chance to travel the world. She went to Italy Guatemala and Kenya
01:06She eventually returned to Lehigh to give the commencement address in 2017. She told the students I am NOT
01:13the best alumni cheerleader
01:16This is only my third time back on campus in 20 years
01:22because in truth I
01:24had a very tough time at Lehigh I
01:28Couldn't find my place on the hill
01:31So much so that I went across the world instead as Brad mentioned
01:37I studied in Kenya Guatemala and Italy
01:41Through a Lehigh alumni who's here today as a parent
01:45I got a summer internship in banking and I knew work work was when my life would start
01:51I thought so I scampered back to finish up and collect my diploma
01:56With the only two real friends I had at Lehigh
02:01when I was in your seat I
02:03felt small and insignificant
02:07But Lehigh didn't fail me I
02:10Failed Lehigh and
02:12It wasn't my grades. It was the way I thought
02:16Success was measured
02:19She encouraged them not to focus on how the world tells them to measure success, but on what fulfills them education is important
02:26But not everything
02:28Building a career Daphne didn't immediately start her career as a newswoman
02:33She spent 14 years working in the finance industry. She joined Credit Suisse first Boston in
02:391997 and spent six years working on hedge fund sales
02:42She became the highest producing credit derivative salesperson in the United States
02:47She joined Deutsche Bank in the same credit salesperson role in
02:512003 she spent eight years there and didn't waste any of that time
02:55She founded the global market women's network to help women reach leadership roles at the company
03:01She also reached a leadership role herself by the end of her eight-year career at Deutsche Bank leaving as managing director
03:08She then joined Bloomberg television in October 2011
03:11She co-hosted inside track with co-anchor Eric Schatzker
03:15They both moved to a two-hour late-morning show called market makers in 2012
03:20She co-hosted the show Bloomberg go with David Weston before leaving the network
03:25It featured many high-profile political figures athletes and media moguls
03:30Her big break came when she joined up with two other reporters Bradley Keown and Mary Childs
03:36They were the first ones to break the story
03:38Identifying Bruno Ixil as the traitor behind the 2012 JPMorgan Chase trading loss
03:44It was a major scoop that got them all noticed
03:47She's best known for her role as the host of MSNBC's the 11th hour with Stephanie rule
03:52She got the position January 27th
03:562022 after Brian Williams left the network
03:59Stephanie's illness diagnosis
04:02Stephanie has dyslexia the Mayo Clinic describes the condition as a learning disorder that involves difficulty reading due to problems
04:09Identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words
04:14She described the condition in her own words saying people actually thought I was a super reader when I was little
04:19Because I can memorize words. I have a great memory
04:22So when I was three and four years old, I could recite poems and short stories
04:25So they had me start school early
04:27But then come first and second grade when comprehension starts when you win the more complicated stories have to get in your head
04:34That's when you start hustling and kind of cheating, right?
04:37That's what you did in school
04:37Yes, and that's when you're negotiating with teachers to say how about an extra credit project?
04:41How about a presentation because you can't get through and I always thought I don't love pages. I love people. I'm not a student
04:48I can't wait for work
04:49Yeah
04:49And then work started when I was in banking at first they stuck us in research and I thought I'm not smart enough for research
04:55I gotta get into sales and then I got into sales and like this is great, but I never had the
05:01Fundamental things I never had those building blocks
05:04I needed to get because I didn't know I had it Stephanie admits that seeing signs of the condition in her son made her realize
05:11She may have it herself. She says and it wasn't until my son my oldest son
05:17I saw him go from this outgoing confident kid
05:20He just couldn't learn to read and his younger brother was finishing his stories for him, right?
05:25I take it was one amazing teacher
05:27We all have those teachers who said you got to get this boy checked out
05:30And when they told me he was dyslexic, I thought this is this is everything
05:34I have Stephanie reached out to other teenagers with dyslexia who were struggling in school
05:39She wrote a heartfelt post on Instagram that said this message is for any dyslexic out there hating school right now
05:46I totally get it school sucks paying attention is impossible
05:50No matter how many times you read the words on the page
05:53They don't seem to interact with your brain and she went on to say this, which I love I promise school eventually ends
05:59And when it does calculus and physics need not be in your next chapter and the real world
06:05Cannot wait for you to unleash your awesomeness
06:08Love always cliff notes using cheat sheet making detention dominating needs to improve self-discipline on every report card getting
06:15formerly frustrated fellow dyslexic
06:18Steph rule Stephanie's fellow news
06:21personalities Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb were as shocked by the reveal as anyone
06:26Stephanie says it was never her plan to talk about her condition
06:29She explained it was the result of motherhood combined with a certain memorable event in her life
06:35It made her decide it was the right time to tell the world about her dyslexia as she said
06:40I was on a flight for a work trip and trying to read the same book
06:44I put in my backpack for every flight and I couldn't get through the book and I'm looking out the window and I'm thinking about
06:51My son who's also dyslexic and I'm thinking he is sitting in class right now hating life. Yeah hating his teacher can't get through it
06:58She immediately made the post to reach out to other parents and children who are struggling
07:03Fortunately, it got the response. She was hoping for and then some she said the flight lands and my phone was blowing up
07:10With people from all walks of life saying that's me. That's my daughter
07:14That's my brother and I thought oh my gosh, like if I can connect with someone
07:19How Stephanie lives with her dyslexia Stephanie admits she was always seen as a smart child
07:24She could memorize books and told stories better than anyone around her
07:28It was actually recommended that she start school early. That didn't mean she didn't struggle in school
07:34Though whenever reading comprehension was involved it became difficult for her
07:38Stephanie believes she in a way had to cheat to find her way through school
07:42She'd take any extra credit projects
07:45She could just to keep her grades up and make up for the holes her dyslexia was leaving in her brain
07:50It also made her work more difficult
07:52She admits she started in sales because numbers were easier for her to comprehend moving to news was her dream
07:58But it's an industry focused on words and that made it much more difficult for her
08:03She said when I joined Today Show weekend Today Show
08:06That was my hardest job because for you guys you're covering 15 different stories in 10 minutes
08:11You're going from here to here. I can't do that
08:13Her co-anchors witnessed the ways she would quote-unquote cheat in her career as well
08:18Stephanie never would have reached the level she did if she hadn't found ways to provide herself
08:23Accommodations to overcome her condition some of her former co-anchors noticed the steps. She took I watched you prepare when you do segments
08:31You always have index cards
08:33You always had a sharpie and I was like and I would always see you kind of talking to yourself my life
08:37They're fine Savannah and Hoda were glad to have her speak about her dyslexia on the air
08:42They feel her advice can help others with the condition live with it
08:45I'm imagining parents right now watching this cheering you want and
08:51Planner for your kids go through their schedule so it's not Sunday night and their backs against the wall
08:57Yeah, and then they maybe are cheating or looking for those CliffsNotes get them ahead of the game on Friday
09:02So they're saying to their teacher. Hold on. I don't understand these directions. Talk me through it
09:06Talk me through it on Thursday or Friday, so it's not Sunday night and we're in a panic
09:11Stephanie's story is an inspiring one. She's a woman in a powerful position who seemed to have it all together
09:17Despite that she has been willing to reveal the difficulties
09:20She had to overcome to get to where she is
09:22The goal is to help others with the same difficulties figure out how to overcome these challenges
09:28They can look at her and say if she can do it, so can I now it's time to hear from you
09:32What's the most inspiring story of a celebrity overcoming an illness that you've ever heard? Let us know in the comments section below