Twin Lakes Literacy Council

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Student Stories - Click a picture to read more of the story!

Kelly Bertrand I couldn't hold a job. I couldn't help my son with his homework. His grades were slipping. I needed to find help. I found Twin Lakes Literacy Council. I never imagined I was finding an open door to my dreams, too.	Yu Wang Rhodes Yu Wang came to Twin Lakes Literacy Council in 2012 -- after being in America for less than one week. Yu Wang’s goal was to develop English conversational skills.	Randy Williams I decided to get tutoring because I went to Workforce and they said I was going to have to fill out these applications, and they showed me a computer. And I didn’t even know how to work a computer. I’d been a blacksmith, a tree trimmer, a carpenter, and a painter. I didn’t need to have computer skills in the jobs I had in the past.
Linda Oliver Linda Oliver did not come to Twin Lakes Literacy Council to learn to read -- she came to relearn how to read, write and count money.	Mark and Sue Mark and tutor Sue Adams-Smyth have worked together twice a week for almost two years using the curriculum of the Barton Reading Program.	Hannah and Penny Nine-year-old Hannah has studied the Barton Reading Program two hours a week with Volunteer Penny Ellis since December 2014. Hannah is currently studying Level 3 of the Barton Reading System. At the end of each lesson, Penny and Hannah play a game called Boom to review sight words.
Josh Boelkens One day when we were at Hackler Intermediate School, we noticed one of our former students who had studied the Barton Reading Program. He had just come from the library and had picked out a book – the fourth book in the Harry Potter series. Josh said he had already read the first three books and loved them. We were so impressed with his enthusiasm for reading that we asked him to share his experiences with you. This is the speech he gave at our last volunteer meeting.	Gerald and Ben Ben Nguyen, a 23-year-old ESL student at TLLC, worked with his tutor, Gerald Wilde, on this test in English – and passed! Click the picture to read Ben's story.	Juanita Miller I wanted a higher education. I want to get my GED for a better opportunity in the job force. I needed to learn fractions, decimals, and percentages. I heard about the Literacy Council through the women’s shelter, Serenity. Some workers came out and they asked if anyone wanted to get their GED, and I accepted.
Stacy & Suzanne Stacy Chen studied for the American citizenship exam with TLLC Tutor Suzanne Sutherland preparing for the test by studying 100 questions about American history and government. Stacy passed the test last month and has now been sworn in as a new American citizen.	Randall Kindstrom Randall is studying Level 2 of the Barton Reading Program with his tutor, Charline Nichols. I’m 8, actually. My tutor is Ms. Charline. She is fun. She’s helping me to learn with my words. She’s nice.	Irena Newland Many exotic people come to Twin Lakes Literacy Council to study – but perhaps the student who has come the farthest is Irena Newland, a native of Siberia. Irena arrived in Arkansas in 2003 after meeting and marrying an Ozark native, Charles Newland. “I caught the biggest fish in the White River!” she says.
Irma & Betty A lot of laughter can be heard behind one of the doors at the Twin Lakes Literacy Council. Irma, who grew up in Gerdauen, Germany, came to the Literacy Council almost eight years ago after her husband died. She moved to the United States in 1957 but always spoke German to her husband and friends, and did not speak English well. She couldn’t read or write in English.	Robert passed driver's lic test My name is Robert Manning. I came to the Literacy Council to get help to pass the test for the driver’s permit. The written test, not the actual driving test.