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Susan Thomas

Dr. Jan Rieman

ENGL 1103-H05

15 September 2010

Pre-Writing Assessment: I started off my “paper-writing-process” by brainstorming ideas

based on the suggestions given to us in the instructions of the assignment. I felt that I had a lot of
information to share and so I began writing. The problem that I often ran in to while writing my
paper was that I find it hard to write in a cohesive manner and it’s hard for me to transition
from one point to the next. I feel that sometimes I go off on a tangent; there is a point in there
somewhere but after a while I lose sight of it. Over all I feel I am satisfied with my paper and I
said what I wanted to say. I do hope to revise it and make some of the stories a little more
interesting.

Post-Writing Assessment: I took complete advantage of the peer workshop session. I really
appreciated the input from the students. They gave sound advice of how to improve my paper. I
felt that I was equipped with an abundance of information to make my paper better. I noticed
that there were a lot of points I brought up in my paper but didn’t expand on. I decided to tell
more about each point that I brought up that contributed to my sponsors of literacy as well as
make a connection to previous texts we read, such as Brandt and Alexie’s essays. I worked on
making a connection throughout my paper instead of having several separate ideas. Overall, I
have gained a better understanding of what a sponsor of literacy is and how that has an effect on
my life and others around me.

Readin’ Ain’t Eazy: Some May Call Me Privileged

It was back in 1960 when my hunger for literacy began to trickle down the genetic line.

Juliaette Sutton, my mother, was born, March 13th, amongst a family that never stopped striving.

Being born into a family where there were thirteen children brought many eventful times around

the house for my mother and her family. There was always someone who was there to listen to

you, as well as the occasional fight about whose turn it was to use the bathroom. My mother

embraced her large family but saw the need to make herself distinctive. She picked up the habit
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of reading. At first, it was just simple things around the house, but then her eyes were opened up

to a world of literacy that she was eager to discover. My grandfather was a preacher so my

mother was instructed to read the Bible daily. She adored the small stories that always seemed to

connect to her life, but decided she wanted to challenge herself more. She dived into novel after

novel, forcing herself to make meaning of the many words that were becoming infused into her

brain. My mother even described times of sneaking into her older sibling’s rooms to grasp their

textbooks in between homework sessions and snack breaks to try to make sense of what seemed

like Spanish to her. During those times of my mother’s upbringing, Jim Crow laws governed the

lives of Black Southerners. She experienced segregated schools and unfair access to the up-to-

date textbooks. She hated how her people were treated because of the color of their skin and

decided that day to overcome adversity. She knew that the only way to succeed was to become

more knowledgeable of her civil rights and become more cultured from the customs of the world.

She had a passion for learning and reading and understood that she must also excel academically

to make herself a fair competitor in society. She wanted to pass this knowledge on from

generation to generation and the journey began with her children. The journey began with me.

My definition of literacy is partly about one’s level of understanding of reading and

writing, but literacy can be further clarified. There are many factors that contribute to literacy

and that also can help classify what someone’s literacy level truly is. Literacy can be gained

through experience, not just by reading and writing. The day to day hustle of life can make one

knowledgeable of his or her surroundings. Whether they take that knowledge and move beyond

it truly determines just how literate they are. There is not one sole contributing factor to one’s

literacy; rather a pyramid, with a sound foundation to build upon. My foundation began during

my early education. Attending pre-school was very advantageous to my development. The

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catalyst that catapulted me to want to learn more were the concepts I acquired here. We studied

numbers, colors, and shapes and took many field trips to museums in our area. This was the

moment I began to open my eyes and soak in all the information around me. There was a whole

world out there that I hadn’t yet discovered, and I was going to become more knowledgeable

about the world so that I may make my dream a reality. I was pushed at a young age to excel in

writing and reciting my ABC’s, learning the sounds of each letter, and later applying that to read

words, sentences, paragraphs, and then on to books. I remember reading my first chapter book as

a preschooler about to embark on the passage to kindergarten. I accomplished the unthinkable.

Although each chapter was only about three pages long, this was an instance where I felt I could

do anything. At this young age, I was empowered.

I attended an elementary school that was year-round and implemented a global studies

program, which meant we were in school longer and had a global perspective of learning. As I

matriculated through elementary school, I was introduced to the Accelerated Reader (AR)

program. It was a school system initiative to encourage reading. We would read certain books

and take tests to gain points; the more points we accumulated the better. The points were

recorded on our school library account and we could go to the AR store and purchase fun prizes

based on the number of AR points we had. At the end of the year, there was a local trip planned

for those who had obtained five-hundred or more points a year. The levels of the books were

distinguished by different colored dots. This system encouraged me to read the higher level

books because they were worth more points. I began to expand my vocabulary, the tests helped

me to work on my comprehension level and of course, I never missed a trip. We also had Apple

computers in all of our classrooms and labs. We were able to learn about Ultra Keys, a

keyboarding program that taught students how to increase the speed of their typing, and about
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word processing programs. Although I grew up in an age of computers, the majority of my peers

did not have access to this new technology. This prior knowledge of how to use the computer

and its programs helped me later in my schooling when just about all assignments were to be

produced on a computer. I had mastered the machinery, in a sense, but my mind still yearned for

more. I had to present myself with a new challenge.

In middle school I was in a program for Very Strong Need (VSN) students where I began

to read even more complex texts. Here is when I first began to learn how to interpret texts and

find out why author’s used specific styles. These skills helped me in high school when I applied

to be a part of my school’s academy. We would take rigorous honors courses for freshman and

sophomore year, all Advanced Placement classes junior year, and senior year we were dually

enrolled at a college campus. In a sense, these experiences made me privileged. In Brandt’s

essay, she noted that often ethnicity determines access to literacy. I immediately I began to think

about my own race. For so many members of the African American community, there are not

resources available for them to succeed. Many come from families who have not pursued an

education beyond high school and for some, even beyond middle school. In many of the schools

I attended, the children lived in single parent homes and many were even homeless. Some did

have the advantage of having a home and both parents there but they never took advantage of

opportunities that were in place for them because they didn’t know any better. The high school I

attended had a high drop-out rate, many students repeating grades, and a low graduation rate

compared to other schools in the system. This motivated me and made me want to become more

than a statistic or stereotype. Being a traditionally, predominantly, African American school, the

students were often required to go above and beyond just to prove that they could be an average
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student. Alexie described in his essay how he often had to break the cultural barrier that divided

him and his education. I refused to fall short and always surrounded myself with the best.

Although education is very important in my life, it doesn’t receive all the credit

for developing my literacy. I have been a part of a dance troupe for five years where we perform

all over the nation. I became more cultured and more disciplined in the performing arts. I began

to read literature that was relevant to old world theater, classical ballet, and art terminology. This

allowed me to become more cultured and challenge myself to learn more worldly views. I

continued my education through my travels. I ventured to Paris, France and Australia for leisure

trips. I became accustomed to how the different cultures meshed together over the years to form

the culture they had today. I was amazed by their lifestyles, their monuments, and how much

alike these countries really were to America. This bridge between the cultures connected me with

the world and motivated me to want to learn more. My mother’s philosophy and principles began

to guide my life, and I was more appreciative than ever.

Coming from a family that is financially stable has helped in my academic career. I

always had access to materials and the latest technology. My mother and father wanted more for

their children, and never let us settle for less. The things I have learned from them as well as the

message received from my school system was that no matter what hurdle gets in my way, I can

jump over it. No matter what obstacle blocks my way, I can overcome it. No matter what space

is between me and my goals, I will build a bridge to conquer it. I have a hunger to learn more

because I want to set an example for future generations, like my mother. I must remember the

shoulders of my ancestors that I am standing on. A pyramid built with a strong foundation that

should never be demolished; the sole contributor to my success.