It wasn't until I was put in solitary confinement for the last time that I had the realization that this was not all I was. I was the only one who could make a change in myself. I asked myself, "Who are successful people?" A person who attends college and gets a good education was the answer. I decided then I would make that my focus. I'm from Boston and when I thought of what college I would set my goal for, Harvard University came to mind; that's where all the successful people seem to be from! I started GED classes and it was not easy, and it was frustrating, and I wanted to quit. But then what? I'd be back in a place I started?!? I met a Jewish Rabbi who became a huge mentor. He didn't want to reform me, he just let me sit with him while he taught, and I attended counseling to get my head straight.

My teachers came in many forms and still do. From educational instructors to mentors, if you look you will find them. My teachers were patient and didn't want anything more out of me than for me to be what I wanted to be. I graduated with my GED, I made a change, and got out in 14 years.

When I was released in November 1999, it was a long road but I persevered. I walked out of jail and into every institution where I thought I would find a teacher/mentor to keep me focused. I enrolled in community college and eventually was accepted into Boston College. I have lectured at Harvard Divinity School, Northeastern University, Tufts, and MIT to name some local educational institutions. I have spoken all over the world from Barcelona to Saudi Arabia to the Dominican Republic as an internationally recognized motivational speaker, lecturer, advocate for youth education, and trainer for those incarcerated and those who incarcerate.

My message to you is this: I never accepted a handout but I accepted a hand-up. Your future success is up to you — WHY NOT YOU? There will never be a change unless you make a change. Re-program yourself to focus on who you want to be. The past is the past. The present will pave the road of your future; lay those bricks.

In 1992, I came to the United States to help my daughter. I was very scared because everything was strange to me especially the language. I didn't like to go to the stores and meet anyone. I just stayed in the United States for six months and then I went back to China. But I still kept learning English by self-study. Four years later I came to the United States again to take care of my daughter's second baby. The family spoke Chinese and I still didn't have the chance to understand and speak English.

One day I walked in a park and an old man asked me how to say Hello and Thank you in Chinese. He was very nice and patient with me. That was the first chance for me to interact by listening and speaking English. I was so excited that I could understand and talk a little bit. Sometimes we met and spoke at the park, and sometimes he invited me to go to his house to play the game called Cribbage with his wife. By playing the game I could understand and say many numeral words. I felt learning by using is much more effective than self-study. And with time I got a little confidence in listening and speaking.

In the summer of 2006, my friend Yuanhui told me about the English at Large program. Then I got a tutor. Every Wednesday I had a lesson with my tutor in the library and I made good progress. But it just lasted one month and a half because I had to go to China. There my son's baby would be born soon. In China I still kept learning by self-study.

Last year in October I came back to the United States. Yuanhui introduced me to the teacher Diana Satin. Then I became to be a student of the Website of usalearns.org and Diana was my teacher. I have prized that chance and studied very hard and made good progress. But I still don't have more chance to practice listening and speaking. So I have to be brave to create the chance. I try to have a chat with people in planes, trains, and other places. I try to call for making appointments or ask for something on the phone by myself. These practices in using are very effective for learning.

Now my life is much better. I can do something by myself in the United States. I'm not so scared. I'm more powerful than before and I have more freedom. I have become more independent. I had the idea that I'm too old to learn English. But the result of learning gave me a significant benefit. It broke that thought. So we are never too late and too old to learn.

After I completed levels 4 and 5 of the basic ESL program, I learned quickly because of my strong motivation. I made a significant leap by being accepted directly to AACA's Next Steps Transitional English Program. After I completed it, I was then able to enter Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC), bypassing all prerequisite ESL classes and beginning with coursework for credit. Without the transitional educational assistance and academic writing skills offered at AACA, I would have lacked the knowledge and confidence to progress as I did and to pursue college-level coursework in English.

As my confidence with English grew, so did my confidence that I would once again be able to follow my passion to teach. I decided to pursue the Education concentration at BHCC. At the time I entered BHCC, my husband and I had just welcomed our newborn, Kenny. While caring for a newborn and taking courses at BHCC, I also taught Chinese for one year in an after-school program in Chinatown. Since 2008, I have balanced motherhood, studying at Bunker Hill, and working as the Site Manager and Lead Teacher six days a week in a suburban program at the Winchester School of Chinese Culture. In addition to my teaching responsibilities, I have also been trained by the principal to handle the bookkeeping responsibilities at the school. So I continue to expand myself professionally. I expect to graduate from BHCC with an Associate's degree in Education or transfer to UMass Boston in the summer of 2012. I intend to continue my studies and gain a Bachelor's degree in Education. I love my work and am grateful to have returned to being a classroom teacher in the U.S.

It took me about two-and-a-half years to get my GED. I did one-and-a-half in Jeanne's class and then was with Lynne for about a year. I liked that the classes were small. I liked how the teachers were so supportive. A lot of people are afraid to go back to school. VOC teachers are caring and understanding and they help you with that. They explain things to you and don't make you feel like you are stupid. They motivate you instead.

The hardest part of getting my GED was understanding math! I would come to school every day and leave with a headache because math would be last. And I would look at Lynne like, "Really! I'm doing the same thing over and over!" But I got checked out and it turns out I have a learning disability that was affecting me. Accepting help for my learning disability has been really important.

I didn't tell my family I went back to school because I didn't want any negativity. When I got my GED, my sister asked for proof that I got it. My daughter is supportive, though. She was in high school when I started at VOC. She graduated in 2009 and now is going to Westfield State. I was supposed to be a failure, yet I raised this child on my own.

When you start learning, you realize there is so much out there you didn't know about! I love learning. A lot of people are going to try to put you down. You have to learn to put aside what's bringing you down and put yourself first.

I came to ABCD Parker Hill/Fenway, a community-action agency providing multiple services to low-income residents of Boston, to study in their Beginning ESOL Program. I completed the five-month class in September 2010. With the help of my teacher Christopher Vaughan, I learned a lot about computers and I learned to speak English—which are helping me prepare for a career for my future, so I can take care of my household and my children. I have continued studying English and computers at Mujeres Unidas in Dorchester, and I am taking a weekend Home Health Aide training in Roxbury. In my daily life, I use English at the supermarket, doctor's, pharmacy, when I go to the park, and when I talk to neighbors.

Through the Citizenship Program, my case manager Claudia Peralta helped me with my citizenship. She prepared my application. Thanks to ABCD's help, I did not fall into the hands of leech-lawyers that charge up to $7,000 to help you get your citizenship. ABCD's help made it go fast and without any inconvenience. I enrolled in the Civics Program with Christopher to study for the test. I passed the test in October 2010. Thanks to ABCD, I am a proud citizen of the United States of America.

My personal goal is to get a license to drive a school bus. My professional goal is to become a nurse's assistant. I am making progress toward my goals.

There were several phases of the TCC program that we students had to participate in for a completion. We did a lot of academic work to learn to do math, take quizzes, and write essays. I also completed the optional Healthcare Learning Network (HCLN) “Intro to Health Sciences” class, which included online reading and exams. During the Transition phase, we also had to start planning for our career. I decided that I wanted to work in the Human Services field.

When I graduated from the TCC, I enrolled in credit classes at HCC. The staff of the TCC program helped with the process. When I got into college classes, I could see the difference in my skills and confidence compared to those of other students. My first college writing assignment was a narrative essay, which I had practiced in the Transition class.

Recently, I got a job working with the mentally ill. The TCC instructor also asked me to serve as the HCLN teaching assistant this semester, helping students who chose to do the optional online science. If it was not for the ABE Transition program, I don't think I would ever have had the courage to go to college or to work at a job I really enjoy.

[Editorial note: Transition to College and Careers is a collaboration between the Community Education Project (CEP) in Holyoke and Holyoke Community College. CEP received a two-year grant from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation and technical assistance from the New England Literacy Resource Center at World Education to support the TCC program.]

WAITT House has come to mean so much to me, because when I started here I told one of my teachers that I couldn't read and I was so ashamed because I am now a senior citizen and most of my life has passed. I also said to the teacher that my biggest dream is to be able to read my Bible for myself. I didn't care if I got my high school diploma or not. The teacher said to me that I had nothing to be ashamed of. She told me not to say that again because I recognized that I needed to learn to read and I did something about it.

I thank God for the teachers at WAITT House, because as the motto says, "We're All In This Together." They worked untimely hard with me. One day at my church I was asked to read a passage of scripture, and I did it with so much ease. I was very proud of myself. When I told my teacher she was proud of me too.

Before I really learned to write I mostly used an X for my name. Now I can write my name. I also know how to write a complete sentence. And I am learning to use a computer!

I decided to enroll in the Adult Diploma Program at the Charlestown Adult Education Program. My teacher, Judy Clough, was so patient with me. Whenever I lost confidence in myself, she would reassure me that I could meet the challenges. She was right because I was awarded my BPS high school diploma in 2004.

My positive experiences with the Charlestown program and the staff made me think of a career in education. I was very fortunate to be able to join the staff as a counseling intern while working towards my Associate's degree in Human Services at Bunker Hill Community College. It wasn't long before I was hired as the program's Computer Skills teacher for ESOL students, and in the next semester stepped in to cover a class vacated by a teacher on emergency medical leave.

I am now an integral member of the Charlestown Adult Education Program staff, instructing two sections of beginning English, plus managing the computer lab, and offering my time as a counselor and a logistical expert. And I'm still continuing my education at the same time, as a Bachelor's degree candidate in Psychology at the University of Massachusetts in Boston.

As years passed I kept telling myself "I'm going back to school next year" but thought about it twice only because working and getting a paycheck was more important to me at that time. In April 2002, I gave birth to my daughter and still didn't have a high school diploma or GED. Two years later, I matured enough to understand that I was a single mother who needed to be more of a positive role model to my daughter, so I enrolled into a GED program. A good friend of mine told me about the GED Plus Program in Roxbury.

My first time in a classroom after 6 years felt like a fresh new beginning for me and my daughter. What made me feel more confident and comfortable was the way staff showed concern and support. Even my teacher expressed that she was just itching to teach, which showed me that they cared about my education. So here I am going to school, working and taking care of my home. Knowing that I was juggling everything and putting my all into it made me a stronger woman. After two months I tested and passed. I was so excited, my teacher told me I was going to graduate in a few months and I took her word and repeated it to myself everyday.

Since obtaining my GED, doors have opened for me in more ways than one. I am tremendously proud to say that I am currently a graduate of and the Office Manager to GED Plus. Knowing the obstacles that I had to overcome made me want to give the same motivation, services and support that helped me and other adult learners become aware that such programs exist.

My job is to maintain the computer labs, keep up the website (www.clinton.k12.ma.us/adulted), and assist with TABE and GED practice testing. I've also continued my education by attending Quinsigamond Community College and graduating May 2007 with a certificate as a Personal Computer Specialist. While I was at QCC, I became a member of the honor society Phi Theta Kappa.

My friend and colleague Eunice Snay, the regional SABES Tech Coordinator, calls me "The Queen of Free" — because I'm good at getting equipment and software donated for nothing. I've gotten older computers donated and then fixed them up for use at the Learning Center, and also won grants for computer equipment. I persuaded Hewlett Packard to donate $5,200 worth of printers and to sell us twenty additional computers at a very low price.

Since I got my degree I've started my own business, called Compulaine's Computer Center and Café. It's both a computer repair business and WiFi Café, which serves breakfast and lunch. The store offers entertainment on occasion and is known as a community connection spot. I've also volunteered as a computer skills instructor at the senior center in town. As you can see, I like to keep busy and connected. All my different responsibilities keep me in touch with my family and the broader community.

Here are a couple of articles that have been written about my Café. If you're in the neighborhood stop by:
www.wickedlocal.com/clinton/archive/x595658414

www.socialweb.net/Places/7263.lasso

I was about ten years old when I finished 3rd grade. I had earned 100's in language and math. To go to school you needed decent clothes, shoes and materials. When my sister reached fourth grade, she had to drop out and go to work. I didn't go back to school. As the next daughter, I had to take her place in the home.

The school year went from January to October. I waited for months for my parents to send me back. In April a teacher from the school came to my house and asked my parents, "How come Elida didn't come back to school?" My mother told them I'm all set, I have what I need. It was hard to understand why I couldn't be able to go back to school, how come I had to give up my dream. I had to follow what my parents said.

I came to America to escape political unrest. Now as a mother of three children, my goals are totally different. I encourage my kids to finish school because without a college degree you have to take menial jobs. I'm also a working mother. Every day when I wake up it is challenging for me. I'm afraid to make a wrong decision. Raising kids is hard because they don't come with instructions.

In 1997 my son started pre-kindergarten. I walked him to his classroom. The teacher shook hands with me and started a conversation, but my mind was blank. I asked her if she knew a place I could learn English. She said, "By tomorrow I will have some information about a good place you can go." She told me about Operation Bootstrap. I started the program. When I walked through the door I didn't have any idea about the place. I was anxious to know if I was making the right decision. Some time to make a decision like this is difficult but not impossible. Learning English was my goal. Unfortunately I had to quit because I got pregnant.

In 2003, after all my kids were in school, I signed up again. I started at the beginning of the GED Program. I'm now in pre-GED. To be in the program has made a huge difference. Now I'm able to help my kids with homework. I'm proud to see how their minds are different. They talk about going to college. During these four years I'm involved in the community. I volunteer a few times at My Brother's Table. Being involved with the community is worth it because you're giving back to the community. I'm the vice-president at Operation Bootstrap Student Council. I have learned so much from my program. And also it has helped me be the person I am today.

It was a very challenging and demanding time. I've taken many ESL and computer classes and while working the midnight shift doing kitchen prep work at Logan Airport. Through the ESL classes I was able to move on with my life and leave the night job. I had improved my English and computer skills and stepped up to an assistant position in education department at the International Institute of Boston. Being with this agency I have seen how many people have struggled with low English proficiency and have realized how much Adult Education means to them.

Now I have made another step forward, in my current position as the administrative assistant at the Massachusetts System for Adult Basic Education Support. I’m very proud to be a part of this great team which helps the Adult Basic Education field to equip adult learners and to develop their language skills in order to be able to find a job on their own, pursue citizenship, and contribute to the cultural, political, and economic richness of this society.