Alexandra Trenfor says, “teachers are those who show you where to look, but don’t tell you what to see”. Teachers not only provide us knowledge and education, but also give us the passion to explore and encourage us to go through difficulties. LCNV is extremely thankful to our instructors – without whom, our impact and mission will be rendered impossible. As World Teacher’s Day is approaching this Saturday, we would like to share a story about Awa and his teachers with you.
“I was born in the Ivory Coast. I came to the United States of America with my family. I had never been to school in the Ivory Coast. I started school in the United States for the first time in my life. I started learning to read and write. I started in Chicago, IL with a tutor. She helped me [and] it was with [a literacy organization] in Chicago that I started reading for the first time. It was not easy. Sometimes when I would say to my teacher that I don’t feel good, my teacher always tells me to not drop out of school. It is very important to come to school. My teacher continued to push me to study. Now I have moved from Chicago to Virginia and have to go to school with a new teacher who does not know me. I need to tell them my story that my first time going to school is in the USA. I am a slow reader and learner and sometimes I don’t want to go to school. I feel like I am not learning. One day I was supposed to take my citizenship test and the immigration officer asked me to read and write in English. I said to myself “Awa, what are you doing here”. Then I said to myself “Oh my God, I passed my test”. That day I know I was reading in English. The immigration officer said congratulations, you passed your test. That day my dream came true. I told my teacher before I left that I would call her if I passed my exam and if I did not call, I did not pass my exam. She says you will pass your test because you are Awa and you are smart. She said you have a teacher who believes in you and that touched my heart. When you have a good teacher in your class, you enjoy coming to school.”
At the end of this essay, we want to reiterate our thankfulness to all the teachers, class aides, and instructors that are working or have worked with us. If you feel inspired and motivated by this noble mission, volunteer with us to support our over 1,500 learners today!