Through strategic growth in July of 2020, Literacy KC absorbed the Don Bosco School of English and now oversees the administration of the school. Isabel joined Literacy KC during the transition and has become an integral member of our team.
”I arrived in this country from Colombia with my son Gustavo Jr in 2006. It was like starting a new life. Everything was different: the language, the culture, jobs. Little by little I formed my new goals and dreams. The first was to drive and in less than a year I got my license and bought my car. Immediately, I was looking for a place where I could learn English and found the Don Bosco School of English. I felt like I was at home. There were a lot of people with the same reality and desire to know how to understand, speak, read, write English very well. Nothing was more important for me and in less than one year I was in the advanced level. Soon, I started my classes at Penn Valley and in about one and a half years I got my English as Second Language certificate. Another goal was realized and now it was time for the next step. I transferred all of my college credits from my country and I started at Metropolitan Community College. At this time, I also had my little boy Alejandro. Sometimes it was hard for me and exhausting because I was a mom of two little kids. Every day I started to work very early to be at home in the afternoons. Even though times were hard, I never stopped taking classes. Finally, I got my Associates Degree. I had always worked at the Independence School District as a 50/50, half of the time a custodian and the other time in Nutrition Service. Since I got my Associate and my kids were older, I started to find other opportunities. I applied for many positions in the district and I had some interviews, but I was never hired. One day I received a call that I have an interview in the Adult Education Department. I remember the interview with Ms. Briggs and when they called me to tell me that I have the job, she had given me the opportunity to work as a secretary. It was the perfect job for me. I was so happy and so excited. I could not believe that I was working in a place where I started to learn English and I had come back. Now, I could help people like me.
This opportunity gave me more courage to continue. I enrolled at UMKC to finish my Bachelor degree. Now, I will graduate next May in Business Administration with an emphasis in entrepreneurship. I know that the story is not going to finish here because every day I receive more gifts. Don Bosco is part of my life, but life continues to surprise me. Now I am also part of Literacy KC, another wonderful place, another place where dreams come true, where everybody feels included and part of a big family.
Thanks to Don Bosco and Literacy KC for being part of my life and my dreams.”
2020 has been a year of remarkable change. Yet in change, comes opportunity. For Literacy KC, it has brought expansion, both geographically and programmatically. This past year, we have:
- Grown to operate adult basic education and English as a Second Language programs in six sites throughout the metro area, from Excelsior Springs to El Dorado Springs.
- Plan to begin operation at five additional sites by the end of our fiscal year.
- Grown from a 20 person staff to a team of 65.
- Solidified partnership with the Don Bosco School of English, becoming responsible for the full administration of their ESL programming.
- Solidified partnership with the Housing Authority of Kansas City, whose Clymer Center now serves as our ESL headquarters.
- Responded to COVID-19 by building out a virtual infrastructure to teach our students safely through online education in literacy, High School Equivalency prep, ESL, workforce development, and more.
All of this change also brings new opportunities for supporters like you. Please consider investing in programming that profoundly changes the lives of students like Isabel. We couldn’t do this important work without you.
Gillian Helm, CEO