I went to the....literacy council to learn how to read. The caseworker at the Welfare had told me about it. I wasn’t planning on being a minister, a day care provider, or a foster parent. I didn’t plan on doing a lot of the things that I am active in now. But it opened so many doors for me that it’s unreal. I feel blessed, and I read everything. Agnes

The Desire to Set an Example

Seven mothers, fathers, daughters and grandmothers enrolled in adult education and family literacy programs to serve as examples for their families. Sixteen years after Sarah got her GED, she re-enrolled in a community education center along with her mother who had been forced to quit school in the 8th grade. Sarah worked on learning algebra and geometry in order to pass college entrance exams. After five months of hard work, her mom became the first female (other than her daughter) in her family of 14 to pursue and obtain a GED.

Charlene, who now has a BA in Social Work and five years’ experience as an intensive case manager, had a child with special needs and explains: “My son was the reason I went back to school, since he was having trouble, I didn’t want him dropping out like I did.”

Self-Improvement and Self-Actualization

Of the 21 adults who enrolled with self-improvement and/or self-actualization in mind, three wanted to start their lives anew after being involved with drugs; seven hoped to increase specific or general academic skills; five wished to improve their lives and six simply wanted to learn. Stacy, who has 64 hours past her master’s degree and been recognized as an Outstanding Teacher of the Year by her school district still remembers her exaltation at receiving her GED.

I always felt successful after I completed my GED. The GED for me was the climax of my life. It was difficult because I didn’t speak English very well and I couldn’t even write. I worked very hard and I was a very stubborn person... I thought if I have my GED, I’m not going to stop. I’m still going strong because I still take courses now. Every summer, I will take at least one or two courses. I don’t need the credit, but I need the knowledge.

Appendix C lists participants’ motives for enrolling in adult education programs and provides a bare bones overview of the road traveled by participants from the time they left formal schooling to their academic accomplishments to date.

Program Experiences

The comparison of participants’ past history with present accomplishments makes impressive statistics. The real story lies somewhere in between. It is best told in adult learners’ voices as they explain their difficulties in balancing schooling with family and work; as they acknowledge the importance of internal strength from God; as they recognize the value of external support from family, friends and teachers; as they whisper of their initial fears of failure; as they give testament to their inner beliefs and rejoice in their growing sense of purpose and possibility. Participants, for the most part, do not mention content learned in adult education programs although they report on effective strategies used by tutors and teachers. They do not speak at length about their teachers and tutors but eloquently express how these interactions have changed their lives.