Edna Bruce, Frontier Community College, Fairfield
Edna has volunteered at Frontier Community College since it received its first literacy grant. She has donated hundreds of hours assisting low-level learners to accomplish their goals. She tries various materials until she finds what works best for her students. She won't give up on a hardworking student even though progress may be slow. Right now, her student wants to read the instruction manual to build a TV. He never seems to get discouraged. Another one of her students wanted to learn to read the Bible and now he can. Edna attends workshops and literacy events to keep her skills up to date and to keep in contact with program staff and other tutors. Edna taught first and second grade and loves reading. She says that tutoring students is an opportunity to serve her fellow man.
Marcia Cromer, Waubonsee Community College, Aurora
Marcia Cromer's interest in teaching people to read and write began during her own struggle to learn while living in Tokyo with her family. After they moved to Aurora, she trained as a literacy volunteer with Waubonsee Community College. Marcia has trained ESL tutors for the past ten years. She is also the "official photographer" for ESL graduations and other literacy social functions at her own expense. She is currently volunteering in a GED classroom and has developed a GED writing program to help students pass the writing portion of the exam. Her students show her success. One student came back to work in the ESL department after he completed ESL classes and the GED test. Another Hispanic man struggled to write in English but after working with Marcia, he completed the GED and is now inspiring members of his church to learn English. Still other students have obtained better jobs. Being a literacy volunteer has been very rewarding for Marcia.
Dorothy Dunham, Common Place, Peoria
Dorothy Dunham learned about the adult literacy program at Common Place through her church - one of Common Places' founding congregations. Dorothy was surprised and upset to hear how many adults in Peoria could not read. Education has always been a priority in her life --- one that she passed onto her five children. That same love of learning has been transmitted to the adult learners she's worked with at Common Place. Dorothy plans to retire as a school library technician at the end of this school year but will continue as a member of the Illinois Reading Council and volunteer at Common Place. Her first student wanted to learn to read the Bible and be able to read to her grandson who lived with her. Dorothy understands and encourages students who are juggling jobs and families in order to find time for classes and studying. Her hope is that she will help others to a safe and fulfilling life by learning to read.
Betty Edwards, The Literacy Council, Rockford
Betty Edwards became an adult literacy tutor at The Literacy Council to help people. She remains a tutor because her students' determination, dedication and motivation inspire her. As tutors do, she has learned from the materials she reads and the conversations she has had with her students. It has been fulfilling to witness the changes in students as they improve their reading and writing skills. Betty has shared her students joy when they are able to fill out a job application for the first time, read and pass the driver's test, buy a house, write a check, graduate from a painter's apprenticeship, learn to make change and read the Bible to become a church worker. Her tutoring efforts have affected whole families. The adult learners with children become more involved with their children's school. They want to make sure their children do not face the world with poor reading skills. Two of her students have encouraged other family members to get reading and writing help. Several years after completing a reading program with Betty, a mother called and asked for help with her sons' reading. They worked together on a curriculum for the boys. Betty has truly made a difference in the lives of her students.
Margaret Harris, The Literacy Council, Rockford
After hearing a request for literacy volunteers on television, Margaret Harris went to the first of many literacy-tutoring workshops. She began that day on a long, rewarding journey to help adults learn to read and write. Margaret volunteers at the Rockford Area Literacy Council and has helped many students accomplish their goals. Students have received job promotions, ESL students have passed the citizenship test, and other students went on to pass the GED. Some of her students were able to take the driving test without help and some voted for the first time. One student that stands out was able to write several articles that were published in student papers. He also finished two science fiction books. His greatest joy was in receiving his External Diploma at Rock Valley College. Although he declined the honor of being their valedictorian, he was thrilled to accept his diploma with family and staff of The Literacy Council in attendance. He thanked Margaret for her help and said, "This is the happiest day of my life."
Sr. Mary Luke Kapraun, Common Place, Peoria
After teaching for thirty years, Sr. Mary Luke Kapraun felt a void in her life. What better way to fill the void than to become a tutor in an adult literacy program? She began tutoring at Common Place and has seen many of her students achieve their goals. The goals ranged from obtaining their GED and pursuing classes at a local college to acquiring better jobs with greater financial security to developing more confidence and greater feelings of self-worth. A grandmother is now reading to her young grandchildren. A single mother passed her driver's test on the first try enabling her to get to her job independently. There are challenges to being a literacy tutor, too. Different approaches are tried when a student struggles with simple, basic words. Pep talks are given to encourage a student to attend class regularly when the student has to juggle work, family life, class time and study at home time. Each morning when she arises, the following prayer is in her heart: "May the experience of and the interaction with each student make us each a better person."
Dorothy Lashbrook, Kaskaskia College, Centralia
Dorothy Lashbrook has been volunteering at Kaskaskia College since she retired. Several of her English as a Second Language learners are mothers of small children. When they are able to read a child's book, there are tears of joy. Every learner has left a heart-felt story of success. One of her first students was from Mexico. He did not know any English and Dorothy did not know enough Spanish for a conversation. This was a challenge but with a Spanish-English dictionary and gestures, they were soon communicating in sentences. He is currently in the ministry field here in the United States. Dorothy gives that extra effort to her learners, whether its asking their children to join them for story reading or taking them to the grocery store to select items as part of a program on foods. She learns as much from her students as they do from her. When they attain their goals, the look in their eyes makes it all worthwhile. Last fall, Dorothy had the very special privilege to attend the swearing-in ceremony for one of her learners who became a citizen. That special learner said, "It feels great to be an American."
Carol Little, Lincoln Land Community College, Springfield
Whether assisting literacy, English as a Second Language, and/or GED students, as young as 16 and all the way up to 72, Carol Little's tutoring experiences have been a pleasure. She currently tutors at Lincoln Land Community College and gets joy when her students share their satisfaction at successfully learning something new. Carol has seen tenacity from two male students who understand the value of education and who never give up, even though one has dyslexia and the other cognitive processing problems. She has seen the courage of a wealthy and well-known female student who lived in terror of being discovered as an adult with a reading problem, especially by her son. That woman went on to live a life of joy. She has seen the resourcefulness of an ESL student who learned English while experiencing a difficult marriage and who also found a job, bought a car and now hopes to go on for C.N.A. training. Since transportation is a problem in rural areas, Carol often times takes her students to class, to the Department of Human Services or doctor's appointments. Carol has said over and over, "Learning cannot begin until the barriers are removed." Carol plans to continue tutoring for years to come not only because the need is constant but also because she enjoys her students. She is as much a benefactor from them as they are from her.
Elise Sode, John A. Logan College, Carterville
Elise Sode read an article in the Southern Illinoisan newspaper about the need for volunteers. Soon after, she attended an orientation program and became a volunteer tutor with John A Logan College. She has worked with learners who were men who needed to improve their reading to better provide for their families to developmentally disabled learners who wanted to improve their skills to live more independently. She has used newspaper ads to teach money management and porch construction to help a student understand fractions in math. Even though Elise recently retired from active tutoring, she plans to continue the book bag project that she has coordinated for several years in the Carbondale area. To date more than 2000 cloth bags containing donated books, reading brochures and local literacy and GED program flyers have been distributed to the new Pre-K students to be used for library books. The program is so successful that it was presented at the International Reading Associations' annual meeting.
George Szubka, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn
George Szubka retired as a police officer after 20 plus years. After looking into an ad in the local paper recruiting volunteer tutors for the College of DuPage, George began training to work with people who wanted to improve their education. It has been almost two years since George started tutoring and he is hooked. He says that when a student picks up on a word they are having trouble with or a solution to a math problem, you can see the light go on and that is the best reward anyone could ever experience. Because of his background in police work, he works well with all types of people and students are comfortable with him. George was nominated for this Spotlight on Service award by one of his students who expressed his appreciation for the help George has given him and other students.
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