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"Reading"
LaDonna S. Sales
Fayette-Ware Comprehensive High School, Class of 2003
Ever since I was a small child, reading has been my passion. Books
offered me so much; I could go anywhere, be anything, see anything. Things that
were impossible in my day-to-day world were very real once I opened the pages
of my favorite book. I never realized that I was expanding my vocabulary,
perfecting my reasoning skills, sharpening my thought process. Such things only
became important inside the competitive world of high school academics.
As a sophomore in high school I wrote a research paper on illiteracy.
What I discovered was almost beyond my comprehension; how someone could not
experience the joy of reading was beyond me. It was then that I decided that I
would do my part, in my community, to help eradicate illiteracy.
I started with preschool aged children, reading to them in the local
library on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. The positive feedback I got from
them encouraged me to bring books to those children who could not participate. A
group of friends and I organized a book drive at school; we amassed over 250
books which we donated to the elementary school libraries throughout the
county. The success of the children's program brought me the confidence I needed to take the program to a higher level.
Through the local Adult Learning Center, my friends and I set up a
reading program for adults who were preparing for GED exams or who simply wanted
to learn to read better. We would meet and discuss literacy topics and share
ideas on the book of the month. At first it was difficult, but by the time I
graduated, things had settled into a smooth rhythm.
Books have affected my life since I first learned to comprehend them
at the age of three. Since then I've been a believer in the power of words,
but, through my experiences in high school, I've become a bigger believer in the
power of actions. Through what I've done, I've had the opportunity to touch
someone's life in a profound way, the ability to share a simple love with
someone else.
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