Amir grew up in a kibbutz in Israel a few minutes from the scenic Mediterranean Sea. The kibbutz provided the backdrop for an idyllic childhood, with its green manicured lawns that seemed to stretch into the horizon and a group of friends who were like family. When it was time to start first grade, the carefree childhood ended and a struggle began; he couldn’t keep up with his classmates in reading and writing. Insults from teachers were common. School was something to survive.

 

A few glimmers of encouragement gave him some hope. In High School, Amir impressed his computer science teacher with his ability to write code succinctly. Although his code rarely worked because of typos, the teacher gave him an A. When Amir served in the Israeli military he gained a newfound confidence in his abilities as he excelled and became an officer. Attending university became an option he started to consider. However, a serious challenge was ahead of him; Entrance exams required proficiency in English.

 

Mastering English always seemed impossible to him as he could not even master his own language’s reading and writing. He decided to go study in the U.S. to immerse himself in the language. He enrolled in an English language program at a university in Texas. Once again the struggle began and the insults followed. His teacher told him he was the only person she knew that could spell one word in five

different ways, all spelled incorrectly.

 

A turning point came when a substitute teacher taught for a couple of weeks. Within a few days of teaching, she told Amir that she thought he had a learning disability.  She suggested he get tested for dyslexia and recommended the Neuhaus Education Center in Houston, Texas. The irony was that he could not take the test because his knowledge of English was not sufficient. They recommended he return after he completed the English as a Second Language (ESL) program. However, they told him that the fact that he learned reading and writing in third grade was an indicator that he had dyslexia. This clue was enough to end a long chapter of frustration and begin a journey that motivated Amir to explore a new direction.

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He continued his English studies, but this time he created new ways for him to learn the language. Within six months he learned enough English to apply for college. Subsequently, he graduated with a B.S. in Psychology and M.S. in Human Resources Development from the University of Houston.

 

When Amir was invited by the Neuhaus board of directors to talk about his experience with dyslexia in academia, he realized that what he experienced was beyond his own personal struggle. This motivated him to want to help other students with similar challenges. The methods he developed learning English eventually became the prototypes for UC-N-Learn products.

 

While working for Landmark, a software company owned by Halliburton, Amir developed a learning tool to teach complex concepts in geology. He later worked for Kaltura, an innovative video platform, consulting Ed Tech companies on how to incorporate multimedia into their products.  

 

In 2020, he learned that Harvard waived its GRE requirements for graduate school because of COVID restrictions. This encouraged Amir to apply to the Ed.M. program. Currently, Amir is expected to graduate from Harvard in May of 2022.

 

Amir’s mission is to continue developing the App through partnerships and by delivering the best reading intervention platform that empowers educators to help millions of students to realize their fullest potential.