William advanced on the job until he became manager of the university’s food service. At the same time he devoted a great deal of personal time to advocacy efforts on behalf of other new readers. This advocacy for literacy as an avocation while remaining on the job as a vocation held true for many male participants including Dennis, Conrad, Richard, Ronald and Peter. However, William went one step further. After 17 years in the food service field, he quit his position at the university to move into the field of adult literacy. His current goal is to help other adult students “find their voice. And believe in themselves and realize that yes you can help other people. You do make a difference.”

The Helping Professions

This need to help others is symptomatic of participants in this study. When asked the questions: What do you think makes a person successful? Of all the things that you have accomplished, what are you most pleased with? What goals do you have for yourself for the future? , most participants talked about helping others.

When Anna came into the GED program, the director kept pushing her and saying: “yes, you can do this.” Now an adult education counselor, she remembering and says: “Now I would like to, in turn, turn students’ lives around in helping them pursue their goals." Benny spoke of the help he received from his teacher who “worked very hard with me, very, very hard. She worked with me every day. Every day she was with me, she took a moment to help to try this and try that.” When Benny started his first job as the outreach specialist for his ESL program, he was determined to help students of every nationality as she had helped him.

I deal with the people as much as I can. I know why it’s hard for those people because they don’t speak English. I know what a hard situation that is. That’s why I try to help as much as I can. My wish is to help the people in everything that they want. If they come to me about something, I want to have the solution. I want to do everything to help their problems. I said to those people, ‘Everything I do, you can do too. I’m here to help you.’

Conrad continues to attend workshops to become informed about learning difficulties not only for himself but

because that, in turn, helped me to help other people… I also go into the school systems because I think the students need to hear from an adult that has been through that type of situation and not being able to read to let them know if they don’t learn to read while they’re in school, these are the problems you are going to have when you get out of school.

Carolyn who opened a community center and summer camp for inner city children speaks with pride of her accomplishments: I’m proud of some of the things I accomplished at the community center. Some of the young people have joined the church. Some have gone back to school and into college themselves. I’m proud I can help somebody. I want to keep working until I can’t work anymore, work for the Lord, and work to help people, and do things to help others.”