By Gary Hyatt, WSU Honors College, gary.hyatt1@wsu.edu
Name: Dolores “Dee” Tadlock
Hometown: Sunnyside, WA
Main Occupation: Educational Consultant and Founder of Read Right Systems, Inc.
Where you live now: Shelton, WA
History
Dolores “Dee” Tadlock grew up in Sunnyside, WA. Her father was surprised when Dee approached him during her senior year to express her desire to attend college. “Because I was a girl, he really did not have any idea or expectations that I would be going to college. But after pressing me on whether this was a good idea, he agreed, and away I went.” After graduating from WSU, Dee served two years in the Peace Corps in India, helping with poultry production in rural villages before returning to the States earning her master’s in history from New Mexico State University. After taking some time off to raise her two boys, she decided to get her teaching credentials and eventually earned a PhD in Education with an emphasis on Reading from WSU.
Dee’s journey to improve reading education was enhanced when her youngest son, Kyle, struggled with reading proficiency. Despite having a PHD in Reading, Dee’s initial attempts to help Kyle were unsuccessful and stressful for both. Determined to find a solution, Dee researched extensively on how the brain processes reading. After three years of study, she developed a new approach that helped Kyle become an excellent reader in a short time. This success prompted her to use and refine her methods while working in special education systems with all ages.
A turning point came when a former business professor and friend attended a workshop on the Toyota Production System at Simpson Timber Company. This model emphasizes employees’ suggesting improvements to enhance company operations. However, many employees were not making suggestions due to being deficient in literacy, so Dee’s friend recommended her to help solve this problem, leading to the creation of Read Right Systems, Inc. and her lifelong pursuit of making reading accessible to all.
Today, Dee remains the owner of Read Right System and enjoys helping people achieve what they once thought impossible. Here are her reflections on being part of the first Honors graduating class at WSU 60 years ago…
Interview
Why did you choose to enroll in The Honors program at WSU?
I scored well on the entry exam and my grades were good enough that I was offered a place in the Honors program. Since I wasn’t on a college preparatory track in high school, I doubted my ability to compete with other students and considered not joining. However, my advisor asked, “What is worse, failing out of the program or never trying it in the first place? Either way, you end up in the same place.” That question motivated me to pursue it, and listening to that advisor turned out to be a great decision.
Who were some of the most influential professors or mentors during your time at WSU?
Dr. Wood in History and Dr. Bhatia from the Honors Program.
How do you think your experience in The Honors program shaped your personal and professional development?
The Honors Program gave me a sense of confidence. I wasn’t well-prepared for college, especially Honors Math and Chemistry. My last math class was 9th-grade Algebra, so I was nervous and doubtful of my success. Doing well in my classes and overcoming my fears gave me a great sense of accomplishment and empowered me to believe “I can do this,” a belief that has carried me through life.
Can you describe the sense of community within The Honors College during your time there?
With the program being so new, we didn’t have the same kind of community The Honors College has today. It was nice to see the same students in many of my classes, and the smaller number of students created a sense of being part of something special.
Looking back, how do you feel The Honors College prepared you for the real world?
The senior oral exams and the confidence I gained from my Honors experience helped me succeed in my master’s and PhD programs.
Was there a defining moment during your time at WSU that you often look back on?
If my advisor hadn’t posed the question about whether it was worse to be asked to leave or not to try at all, I probably wouldn’t have joined the Honors program. That would have been a shame.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your experience in The Honors program or your life since then?
Looking back, I often think about how many things happened by chance. It makes me reflect on how the universe works and how being confident allowed me to seize opportunities that seemed to simply fall from the sky.
