Lauren Sanchez breaks down in tears on GMA as she reveals heartbreaking past 'It’s horrible'

[Music] [Applause] [Music] Lauren Sanchez known for her successful career in journalism and now her engagement to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos shared a deeply personal and emotional story during her appearance on Good Morning America this past Tuesday the 54-year-old businesswoman sat down with Michael Strahan to discuss her new children's book The Fly who flew to space and opened up about her struggles with undiagnosed dyslexia that plagued her throughout her early life this book is for my 8-year-old self who really felt dumb Lauren began her voice shaking with emotion I really really wanted to be a journalist it's all I wanted to be but I thought I can't right it's horrible she admitted her words gave a glimpse into the years of self-doubt that came with her undiagnosed learning disability a time when her dreams felt impossibly far away as she shared her story Lauren recounted the pivotal moment when a community college teacher saw something in her that changed her life forever the teacher had asked her to contribute to the school paper a task that felt daunting for Lauren I told her I can't really write Lauren recalled holding back tears as she spoke the teacher's response was simple but life-changing she told me just right without thinking about spelling or punctuation it was this moment that began to crack open the walls of self-doubt Lauren had built around herself for so long her voice quivered as she continued every time I talk about this I get emotional pausing to collect herself after Lauren handed in her first story her teacher looked her in the eyes and said you are not dumb you just can't spell that statement was the key to unlocking Lauren's understanding of her own mind the teacher arranged for Lauren to be tested for dyslexia and from there everything began to change I went from a 2.0 GPA student who was barely making it to a 3.8 Lauren revealed proudly I got into USC and became a journalist this transformative moment became the foundation upon which she built her impressive career from a girl who sat quietly at the back of the classroom to a high achieving student at the University of Southern California Lauren's journey is a testament to the power of belief and support during her appearance Lauren also shared that part of the proceeds from her book would go to the international dyslexia Association an organization that helps diagnose children with the learning disorder at an earlier age so they don't have to go through what I went through just thinking that they are not smart enough she said passionately they can really help kids that are struggling with dyslexia and help diagnose them Lauren's connection to dyslexia runs even deeper within her family as she revealed that her 18-year-old son Evan whom she shares with ex-husband Patrick Whit cell was diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age my son said I could talk about it Lauren said with a sense of Pride and understanding he has dyslexia diagnosed in second grade Lauren's family is a vital part of her story in addition to Evan she is also mother to 23-year-old niiko Gonzalez whom she shares with former NFL player Tony Gonzalez and 16-year-old daughter Ella also with Whit cell being a mother to children who have experienced some of the same struggles she faced has only fueled her desire to make a difference but Lauren's Journey wasn't always set on the path of Journalism in her younger years after graduating from high school she had dreams of becoming a flight attendant at just 18 she moved to Los Angeles and applied for a job with Southwest Airlines however the interview process which included a weigh-in a standard practice for flight attendants at the time crushed her hopes Lauren was told she was too big for the role despite weighing just over 120 lb disheartened but not defeated Lauren decided to go back to school it was at El Camino College in Torrance California where the teacher who changed her life entered the picture this teacher saw her potential encouraged her to pursue journalism despite her struggles and got her tested for dyslexia allowing Lauren to finally understand that her difficulties with reading and writing were not a reflection of her intelligence after transferring to USC in 1992 Lauren continued her studies while working as a desk assistant at kcop TV in Los Angeles by 1994 her hard work paid off when she was offered a reporting job at ktvk in Phoenix Arizona from there her career took off leading her to work for extra Fox Sportsnet and eventually Landing her a six-year run as the host of Good Day LA Lauren's career stop at journalism she founded her own aerial film and production company Black Ops Aviation becoming a Trailblazer in a male dominated field she also had a stint as the host of So You Think You Can Dance and contributed to numerous shows like Larry King live and Showbiz tonight