He once struggled to read at grade level.
This spring, he’ll graduate from Old Dominion University ready to lead a classroom of his own.
For Adyn Moehring (’26), the journey from struggling student to future special education teacher has been anything but easy.
“I always struggled with Auditory Processing Disorder. I was always behind my classmates,” he said. “I had to work hard to get here. A lot of people doubted me, and I often doubted myself.”
Adyn is a special education major in the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies with a minor in psychology. He chose the field in large part because of his own experience as a student struggling with a learning disability. Through support from his teachers and his own sustained efforts, he met the goals in his Individualized Education Program, often referred to as an IEP, and enrolled in Advanced Placement and dual enrollment courses in high school.
“I want to be able to tell students, ‘I was in that same situation,’” he said. “Your disability doesn’t define you. I want to be the teacher I needed when I was in school.”
Adyn began his college career at Tidewater Community College before transferring to the University in Spring 2024. The special education program is fully online, which provided him with flexibility as a commuter student from Virginia Beach.
Early in his studies, he realized he would need to be intentional about building community as an online student who lives in Hampton Roads.
“I made the commitment to myself that I was going to get involved,” he said.
He joined the Student Virginia Education Association, served on the Off-Campus Student Advisory Board and became a Darden College of Education and Professional Studies Student Ambassador. During his last semester, while completing student teaching, he was selected as co-president of the ambassador group.
Outside of student organizations, Adyn began playing pickup basketball at the Student Recreation and Well-Being Center, where one introduction turned into a small group of tight-knit friends. The group eventually formed an intramural team and competed together, while balancing coursework and teaching placements.
“That’s how I met most of my closest friends,” he said. “It just started with playing ball.”
That same group often attends football games together. Adyn is easy to spot in the student section, typically wearing blue body paint and a shiny cowboy hat. During a nationally televised game in Fall 2025, a brief clip of him cheering appeared on ESPN — something he was proud to be part of.
“I’m loud. I’m energetic,” he said. “I just like being part of it. It makes me feel connected.”
Adyn has maintained a 3.87 GPA at the University and earned Dean’s List recognition multiple semesters, including several terms with a 4.0 GPA. He is the recipient of the Patricia Waldo Endowment Scholarship and, most recently, the Strong Scholars Program Scholarship, which was established and funded by the Hattie M. Strong Foundation.
In his coursework, he said faculty members emphasized practical application, even within an online format.
In one assistive technology course, students were asked to design tools using household materials. Adyn created a pencil grip from a foam egg and other low-cost devices intended to support fine motor skills.
“They really try to prepare you for real situations,” he said.
Adyn is currently completing his student teaching requirements in Virginia Beach. His placement includes time at Kempsville Elementary School and Salem High School and provides him classroom experience across grade levels under his K-12 licensure, which is a requirement for his program.
Adyn said his supervising teachers have pushed him to refine his classroom management skills, instructional strategies and communication with students.
“She gives me honest feedback,” he said of his current mentor teacher. “I need that.”
After graduation, Adyn plans to teach in Hampton Roads before pursuing a master’s degree. He wants to gain classroom experience before returning to his studies.
“I need to get uncomfortable and grow,” he said. “Grad school will happen.”
When he reflects on his path, he thinks about the student he once was.
“If you were to tell my six-year-old self that in college I would be doing the things I am doing now, I would have thought you were lying,” he said. “I’m just so grateful for the experience I’ve had at Old Dominion University.”