Before Leadership Class
by Sandra S.
Leadership means passing on your skills to other people. Some people are afraid to talk in front of a group of people and that would take a fear from them.
I have so much knowledge that I have gotten over the years, that I want to share with other people. The class would teach me to communicate better and to talk among people.
The Adult Learner Leadership Institute is so important because I can tell other people about it and it would teach me how to do it.
I would share stories about what I was up against while growing up. While growing up, schools didn’t teach me, they just pushed me through classes not knowing things. So I went from adult school to Project Second Chance and they have taught me a lot of skills like reading and writing.
I have been tutored for 2 years. Fear kept me from talking to others about my problems of reading and comprehension. PSC asked me to speak to a tutor training program. I got lots of compliments for what I said. Laura even asked me to come with her and speak to legislators.
I am a very motivated person and won’t stop.
During Leadership Class*
by Sandra S.
My name is Sandra and I have been a student at PSC for 3 years.
Growing up, I struggled in grades 1-5 until I was put into Special Ed in the 6th grade. But I still didn’t get any individual attention.
I did get a high school diploma but I still couldn’t read very well.
I got jobs where I didn’t have to read much.
– Pre-school Aid
– Nurses Aid
– Dietary Aid
I couldn’t do office jobs because I couldn’t read or even do filing.
After I retired I went to Loma Vista Adult School, where I met a woman who told me about PSC. I called them and talked to Megan and here I am 3 years later, talking to you and learning to read.
I had my first tutor for a year before she moved and now Vicky has been my tutor for 2 years. We use the Wilson books for people with learning disabilities.
My learning disability means that my brain doesn’t work like everyone else’s. I can’t read well, I can’t spell and I can’t take notes very well because my brain doesn’t work very fast. I am learning rules and syllables types which is making it easier to read bigger words. I am also learning how to pronounce words correctly because you can’t spell them if you don’t pronounce them correctly.
It seems like it is harder for me with a learning disability than it is for those of you that are ESL students. You probably know how to read and write in your country but I don’t know how to read or write in any country.
*given as a speech at the 2016 Adult Learner Leadership Institute