TAMU-CC Student Turns Dyslexia Advocacy into Pageant Platform: Madison Hickman ’26 Redefines What It Means to Wear the Crown
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — When Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi psychology major and reigning Miss Texas United States Madison Hickman ’26 first struggled with spelling as a third grader, her mother suspected dyslexia and began fighting for the support her daughter needed.
“My mom told my teachers that she thought I might be dyslexic,” Hickman said. “Their response was basically, ‘If we haven’t caught it by now, the damage is already done.”’
What followed were years of determination, late nights, and advocacy that shaped Hickman into the student, author, and pageant titleholder she is today.
Now a psychology major at TAMU-CC, Hickman has turned those early challenges into a platform for change — using her voice in both the classroom and on the pageant stage to champion awareness for students like her.
Raised in San Antonio by a single mother, Hickman spent countless evenings at the kitchen table, memorizing spelling words through songs her mom created. Even when she could sing the words correctly, writing them down was nearly impossible. Her mother became her fiercest advocate, pushing for better support. Eventually, Hickman transferred to a more accommodating grade school and, with help from her grandparents, began working with a private tutor who specialized in dyslexia. She graduated from high school in 2022.
At first, TAMU-CC wasn’t part of Hickman’s permanent plan. She arrived at the Island University through the Program for System Admission (PSA), a program that meant she only planned to stay at TAMU-CC for one year before transferring to Texas A&M in College Station.
“I ended up loving it here,” Hickman said. “I found my people, met my boyfriend, and decided to stay.”
It was in an English 1301 class that Hickman’s advocacy began to take shape where a simple assignment soon transformed into a passion project. With encouragement from Instructor of English Kristen Ruggles Sanders, Hickman developed a set of 10 lesson plans designed to help parents and teachers support students with dyslexia.
“I am so proud of the work she did on the project,” Sanders said. “Madison not only shows passion for her work, but an excitement about the topic, and I can easily see her doing world-changing work both currently and in her future.”
That class project eventually became a published children’s book, now available nationwide through Barnes & Noble.
“My plan is to share the book with parents and educators across Texas, especially for families like mine who struggled to find help for dyslexia,” Hickman said. “No one wants to see their child struggle, so I wanted to create an affordable tool that could make a difference.”
Balancing pageantry with academics hasn’t been easy, but Hickman credits her communication minor with giving her the skills to advocate effectively.
“My time at the university taught me how to talk to people and present information effectively, which helped me raise the $4,000 I needed to enter the pageant. I got plenty of no’s, but enough yes’s to make it happen,” Hickman said.
Hickman, now reigning Miss Texas United States, has a clear mission both in life and on the pageant stage: to raise awareness for dyslexia.
“For me, it’s about being the role model I needed when I was younger,” Hickman said.
This November, Hickman will take the national stage at the Miss United States competition in Las Vegas, carrying with her the lessons learned at TAMU-CC.
“At TAMU-CC, I’ve learned you don’t have to be anywhere else to do big things,” Hickman said. “Islanders have everything we need right here to achieve at the highest level.”
