literacy memoir final draft

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Sonny Vue

Professor Camargo

English 1101

Literacy Memoir

Literacy Sponsors

The first thing that comes to mind when I hear the term, sponsors of literacy, are my

English teachers, my mother and father, and books that I have read throughout my lifetime. As a

freshman in college, I am still developing as a reader and a writer. My goal is to work my way

towards becoming a better writer, which will prepare me for the working world and to write

future essays for my undergraduate classes. Literacy is used everywhere and I believe that

having great literacy skills will be beneficial for me in the long run. If literacy never existed,

then documenting history and educating the community and population would be nearly

impossible and quite a challenge.

First and foremost, my parents are definitely my biggest literacy sponsors; they have

always encouraged and motivated me to excel in my schoolwork and to strive for higher

education. This encouragement stems from my parents wanting their children to have a bright

and successful future. Both my parents graduated with high school degrees and worked in

various manufacturing companies. My parents married at a young age and both struggled with

job and financial security raising our family. In addition, they struggled with comprehending

and speaking the English language, which made communication difficult with the English

speaking community. My parents did not want any of us to struggle as much as they had when

they first moved to the United States from Laos. They put forth all their energy to work long

hard hours and to get paid very little. With the very little money they made, they made certain

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that their children had enough food to eat, even if they did not eat. It always saddens my heart to

know that my mother sacrificed so many things such as eating and sleeping to ensure that her

children were all healthy and full. My parents wanted my siblings and I to build knowledge

through education to ensure that we would have a good job with benefits and good pay. My

parents always held high hopes that one day my siblings and I will be able to live the American

dream through education and experience. As a child growing up, my parents always pushed me

to complete my weekly assignments because they knew that repetition would be the key to

learning. Without my parents pushing me to do my best and become studious, I would not be

where I am today. I am now fulfilling their dreams along with my own dreams of obtaining

further education in order to find a successful and stable career in the near future. My ultimate

motivation is to make my parents proud by aiming to complete my undergraduate education,

continue my education, find a successful career, and give back to my parents and the Hmong and

Lao community.

On the other hand, the ability to learn how to read and write was a process I learned

through my English teachers from elementary school through high school. I remember

constantly being quizzed on vocabulary words, concepts, and themes from the assigned readings.

This constant quizzing shaped me to become a sharp student. I also had to write many essays

about cultures, history, my vacation trips, and my interests. With the assistance of my English

teachers, I learned how to construct an essay by enhancing my writing skills with details and

information. Although, my English teachers did play a role by assisting me with my writing

skills and my reading comprehension, they also contributed by enhancing my communication

skills. They taught me how to use proper English and how to enjoy public speaking. Similar to

my parents, my English teachers were very supporting and encouraging.

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In spite of learning how to read, write, and communicate, reading has always intrigued

me. Sometimes I feel that others would view those who read many books as a nerdy bookworm.

As a child, I enjoyed reading and did not once believe that the phrase nerdy bookworm was a

correct correlation to me or others. If anything, reading books contributed towards the

development of vocabulary, grammar, and critical thinking skills that would be applied to

writing. Reading is not only significant, but vital in the fact that it develops essential skills for

increased literacy. I have read many books and to name a few, The Magic Tree House series and

The Series of Unfortunate Events were two of my favorite books which I found extremely

interesting. These books encouraged me to read and retain information. Reading leisurely was

enjoyable because it did not include the pressure of writing a paper, or the continuance of being

forced to memorize certain words and their definitions. It was a fun and a great way to develop

necessary skills for writing. Conversely, over time reading books became a chore, specifically

when I was in high school. High school textbooks such as the English literature contained some

of the most uninteresting information; and as a high school student I ended up dreading chapter

after chapters of bland context. I had to oblige myself to read all the required materials in high

school to receive a positive consent of a high grade. Sadly, after high school I never got back

into reading due to my horrible experiences with dull high school textbooks that I found no

interest in.

In summary, after reminiscing about what the term literacy sponsor means to me and

who my literacy sponsors were, I concluded that the term signifies my parents, my English

teachers, and books I enjoyed reading. As I reminisce about my literacy sponsors, I realized that

each holds a significant place in my life. Without literacy, simple tasks or skills such as

navigating, ordering food at a restaurant, and communicating with others would be impossible

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without the aid of my literacy sponsors guiding me. Whether the experience was of a positive or

a negative one, my literacy sponsors affected me in one way or another, and I am grateful to have

acquired such experience and knowledge making me the person I am today.