United Way helps adults reach their literacy goals
The Literacy Connection helps with basic reading and English language comprehension
Before she came to this country, Sergia made a promise to her parents that one day she would become a U.S. Citizen. She submitted her application after meeting the eligibility requirements; however, she was not prepared for the test. After she failed her first attempt at the citizenship test, she went to Elgin Community College in October 2010 to register for citizenship classes. Classes were already underway and would not start again until January—but Sergia had to retake her test within the required 90 days. ECC staff referred Sergia to The Literacy Connection where she was matched with tutor Albert Guevara. The two worked together for 32 hours of tutoring to prepare Sergia for the test. She passed the test in March, and on April 4, 2011 she was sworn in as a U.S. Citizen and fulfilled her promise to her parents. Sergia now has plans to register to vote and continues to work on her literacy goals with Albert on a weekly basis.
The adult literacy tutoring program at the Literacy Connection is one of several programs United Way of Elgin supports to help improve people's lives. Sergia says that being in The Literacy Connection program has given her more self-confidence and the freedom to genuinely express exactly what she is trying to say. In a recent interview, Sergia stated that with Albert’s dedicated help she has not only gained a better understanding of literacy but also a better understanding of her bank accounts and nutrition information. She goes on to say that she has been very satisfied with the amount of personalized and supportive attention that she receives from her tutor.
You too can become a volunteer tutor with The Literacy Connection and help others like Sergia gain self-confidence by learning to read, write, and speak English.
