Sifted Through, Passed-Over, But Not Left Behind

As an adjunct writing coach at a local university, I encountered a student who taught me lessons in humility, determination, patience, and perseverance, despite a life-long struggle to overcome: 

Already faced with challenges, a young child I'll call Tiny struggled in school. Her mom didn't know how to help, and continued to send her to school. Tiny's struggle was a result of illiteracy; she could not read. The teachers were aware of Tiny's issue, but continued to pass her through the system, from one grade to the next higher grade level.

This charade continued until Tiny graduated from high school. Then, she was thrust into society.  She sought help from those who were willing to assist. She was able get a job, from which she retired after twenty-seven years.  She was set-up with a literacy coach, and the coach helped Tiny attain a third-grade reading level.  Six months had passed, and Tiny was at a tenth-grade reading level.

At that time, Tiny had gained much-needed confidence. She decided to take a leap and registered for college. Tiny had her support system intact, her literacy coach, a campus tutor who met with her weekly, as well as friends and family.

While in college, Tiny used a voice recorder to capture the lecture. Although Tiny could read, she did not have the confidence to give up the recorder and hand-write the lecture notes. Tiny had hit another roadblock, along with the compounding challenges.

It was a very unfortunate situation, although Tiny's mom didn't know where to turn, nor did she have the knowledge or resources to help her child, and those who could help, didn't. Tiny was in her early fifties, still struggling through life in fear, with low self-esteem, and anxiety, hoping no one would discover the secret she had camouflaged her entire life.

To date, Tiny's charade continues. She still struggles, grasping on to anyone who will offer help. Her literacy rate is on a steady incline, but her confidence very early in life had been shattered.

What happened to the village? The parents had a role, but couldn't deliver. The teachers had a role, but didn't step-up. Society had a role and did its best to accommodate Tiny.

This is a true account. Tiny (not her real name) is now fifty-one years if age. This situation occurred in the late 1960s. Tiny is a minority, who attended public schools. She was also on the low-rung of the socio-economic scale, with parents lacking much education.

Tiny stopped coming to the tutoring/coaching sessions because she became humiliated. As we progressed through the college courses, the words and the lessons became more challenging because she was not yet at college-level reading. 

Often, I think of Tiny, wondering if she's okay. I've concluded that Tiny is doing fine, but perhaps still struggling to attain the next level. She was an amazing individual, student, and someone who had strength beyond what I could imagine.