Take much hard work, mix it with determination, sprinkle in generosity and the result is a successful student with the name Terry Montang.

Montang, a senior in elementary education at Iowa State, is this year’s Iowa Association of Student Financial Aid Administrator’s (IASFAA) Student Success Story of the Year Award recipient. He was chosen with good reason.

Roberta Johnson, of the Office of Student Financial Aid, nominated Montang for the award in November of 1995. Johnson, a 13-year veteran of the financial aid office, first began working with Montang about three years ago when he came in for financial counseling. Montang has since made frequent visits for advice and guidance concerning the funding of his education.

At a glance, 30-(something)-year-old Montang seems normal enough. What an initial sighting won’t reveal is that he is extremely dyslexic and suffers from short-term memory disorder. But Montang has focused on how his particular challenges can help make him stronger.

“My disabilities can be just that, or they can be an asset. It’s all in how I choose to deal with them,” Montang said. But it hasn’t been an easy trip by any standard.

Montang’s form of dyslexia causes the letters that he sees to be scrambled. Montang described it as “trying to put together a puzzle.” Because of this difficulty, he needs to have all of his text books read onto tape. The learning process is further complicated by his memory disorder.

“I can run into Hy-Vee and run back out and not have a clue as to where I parked my car. Unless I process the information into long term memory, I will lose it,” Montang said.

In the classroom, this means that Montang has to concentrate “150 percent” on the professor and hire a note taker to take the notes which later much be read onto tape. Despite these challenges, he holds a 3.2 GPA.

Montang’s disabilities haven’t dampened his involvement in the community. He is in his 14th year in the Army National Guard, which has “opened many doors” for him.

Leadership, respect for self and others, independence and the ability to depend on others are just a few qualities that Montang gained from the guard. Currently, he serves as chaplain’s assistant.

“I finally get to spend time doing what I’ve wanted to do — talking about the Lord and spreading his word,” Montang said.

Montang is also very active in the Christian Motorcycle Association for much the same reason.

“Especially with the hard core bikers, I feel that I can share the message more effectively if we have something in common,” Montang said. He jokingly added, “I only have a rice-burner now, but, God willing, I’ll have a Harley some day.”

Montang’s repertoire of skills includes fluency in American sign language; he provides groups with this service when asked.

“When I first got to college, they said I couldn’t do it, but I trained my body physically at an early age because I couldn’t compete academically. I succeeded, and now, sign language just comes naturally,” Montang said.

He’s been succeeding in college ever since, but he hasn’t done it alone.

“My wife, Mia, has made it all possible. When we were dating I had a lot of anger and she just kept loving me and kept helping me,” Montang said.

“I married my best friend and she has given me the two greatest gifts, my son Ethan and my daughter Elyse,” he said.

Montang is grateful to many others, including Johnson.

“No matter when I came in with some problem, she always found a way to help,” Montang said.

As for the future, Montang has some definite plans in mind.

“I really want to get my master’s so that I can become a guidance counselor. I’d also like to do some student teaching overseas. As far as a doctorate degree, who knows?” Montang said.

Youth ministry, he said, is also a possibility, but right now he’s taking things “one day at a time.”

One thing Montang is sure about: He will never tell a child “no.”

“All my life, people said I couldn’t do it. I would rather let a child try and fail than to tell them no. I refuse to tell a child no,” Montang said.

When asked what the Student Success Story of the Year Award meant to him, Montang said, “It says to me that something is finally paying off.”

The award will be presented April 25 at the biannual IASFAA luncheon.

Montang offered this advice to others.

“You should truly pay attention to how you’re living today, because you’re going to turn around, look up, and see that tomorrow is already here.”

The IASFAA is a group of administrators from financial aid offices across Iowa. Members include employees from the University of Iowa, Drake University, LutherUniversity, the University of Northern Iowa and various community colleges. The association initiated the Student Success Story of the Year Award about three years ago. Johnson has been an active member since 1983.

“We began the Success Story Award to have the opportunity to remind ourselves that the programs that we administer really do apply to real people, that the dollar signs don’t just represent numbers,” Johnson said.

“We like to choose someone who has overcome difficulties and show commitment to their education,” Johnson said.