One day can make a huge difference. One person can inspire dozens to contribute to the good of all. Henry states it simply: “What makes you successful is you have to think successful. You have to feel successful. You have to not only feel it, but you have to show everybody around you that you are successful and that if they see that and they feel that, they may try it also.”

Service to the Field of Adult Education

The quantitative report informs us that 46 percent of participants are currently active in education as mentors, tutors and teachers, of which 33 percent are directly involved in ABLE programs. Several reasons can be cited for this phenomena. In 1986, Act 143 literacy programs launched with Pennsylvania legislative funding encouraged program graduates to take Laubach training and sign on as volunteer tutors. Furthermore, because of a shortage of money to pay aides, capable students in multilevel classes were encouraged to mentor struggling learners as part of a cooperative learning and leadership training process. This leadership ladder from student to mentor is not confined to literacy programs but has become a valued component of a collaborative approach to ABE, GED, ESL, Family and Workplace Literacy instruction. However, none of the reasons given above is sufficient in and of itself to explain why participants continue to volunteer their services year after year. Their motivation includes: empathy for others who face the same difficulties that they have conquered; a need to return the rare gift of learning that they received; and a sincere delight in helping others.

Assistance to Students and Programs

Benny not only helped classmates in school but became an advocate for non-English speakers, helping them to navigate the complex worlds of American employment, housing, medicine, law and welfare. For some participants like Marcia, there is the realization that whatever their beginnings they were meant to be teachers. As a literacy student, Marcia served as part of her programs’ tutor training effort and founded a support group for new readers. As a graduate, she became a teacher’s aide at Goodwill. She believes: “if years ago, I had the opportunity to learn how to read as others, I believe I would have a degree in teaching. I never realized until I started becoming an aide that that was my goal in life.”

Stacy is a High School teacher who counsels potential dropouts to remain in school and provides tutoring in the GED for those who do not follow her advice:

My number one wish would be that my students continue to graduate from high school instead of dropping out. I am speaking to them about that every day. I tell them how difficult life is without a high school diploma. I even tutor them to get their GED now. I have books in school and I do say “if you do have to drop out for whatever the reason, and I can’t persuade you to stay, then let me help you get your GED” They come to the house.

After Adele graduated from college, she served as a Private Industry Council (PIC) counselor for 15 years helping people to enroll in school or find employment. Concerned with safeguarding federal funding for adult education, she says: “I know that for my own situation, without it, I would have never been able to go and finish, get my GED, and then go onto college.” Vu-Lin knows many new immigrants. She says: I work with a lot of them right now at work and I will encourage them to go to school. I even take a couple of them into the school in the evening. I encourage them to learn ESL. Vu-Lin has moved from ESL to ABE to GED. She is now a United States citizen with a home, a job, a car, a new husband and three children who are excelling in their school work. This would be enough for many people but Vu-Lin has other dreams and goals. Her hope “for the future (is) to get my GED, go to college, and become a journalist so I can help others as they helped me when I needed it.”