Lighthouse Academy for
Dyslexia

The Beginning

Four educators. One vision. Zero assets.

In early 2020, when a beloved local dyslexia school closed its doors, four pioneering educators refused to let their students lose hope. Traci Barrientos, along with three fellow teachers, made the audacious decision to start their own school from scratch. They came to us with nothing but a vision and a deadline: create a complete brand identity before the school year began. Working with the founding team, we recognized this wasn't just a branding project. It was about giving voice to a movement. We built the lighthouse metaphor as their foundation: a beacon of guidance through uncertain waters, a symbol of hope for families navigating the complex journey of learning differences. The brand identity balanced professionalism with warmth, using calming blues with energetic accents to reflect both the academy's nurturing environment and the vibrant potential within every student.

Year One

Opening doors during a pandemic.

Lighthouse Academy opened in the fall of 2020, in the midst of a global pandemic. While other schools struggled to adapt, Lighthouse's small class sizes and specialized methodology became unexpected advantages. The founding team's intimate understanding of each student's needs meant they could pivot quickly, maintaining the personalized attention that makes Orton-Gillingham instruction so effective. We documented this first year: classrooms where students discovered their own brilliance, outdoor spaces transformed into learning environments, and a dedicated staff that grew from four to a full faculty. The brand we built wasn't just surviving. It was thriving, even as the world around it changed.

Growing Roots

From survival to recognition.

By 2022, Lighthouse had established itself as the premier dyslexia school on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Local press began taking notice, featuring the academy in magazines and news outlets. The classrooms were full of energy: students working with manipulatives, mastering multisensory techniques, and most importantly, rediscovering their love of learning. This wasn't just a school anymore. It was proof that specialized education could transform lives. The brand we created had become synonymous with hope for families across the region.

A New Home

Building for the future.

In 2023, Lighthouse Academy moved into their own dedicated school building, a moment that seemed impossible just three years earlier. We were there to capture the ribbon cutting ceremony, watching the same educators who had started with nothing now welcome students into a permanent home. The building was validation that their vision had become reality, that their approach was working, and that the community believed in what they were building.

Excellence Recognized

When the state takes notice.

By 2024, the hallways were lined with colorful backpacks, the classrooms buzzed with engaged learners, and the academy had become a model for dyslexia education in Mississippi. The specialized instruction methods, like using colored popsicle sticks for math and interactive whiteboards for group learning, had proven their effectiveness year after year. Lighthouse wasn't just teaching students to read. They were teaching them that their brains worked differently, not deficiently.

State Recognition

The Lieutenant Governor visits.

In 2025, Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann visited Lighthouse Academy to see firsthand what specialized dyslexia education looks like when done right. He met with students, observed classrooms, and spoke with the educators who had built something remarkable from nothing. The visit signaled that Lighthouse's approach, the same approach we helped brand five years earlier, was now influencing state-level conversations about learning differences. From a side hustle project to a school that hosts state officials, Lighthouse Academy's journey mirrors our own growth as a studio. We helped them build a brand and a legacy.