Background: Jacqueline was just four years old when she first came to Project Read with her mom, Patty, who enrolled as a learner in our program.  Jacqueline and Patty, participants in Families for Literacy Activities and Project Read Celebrations, were featured in a videotape called "Changing the Picture" which highlighted our program.  Jacqueline learned to love reading and we watched her grow up and become a strong reader. We took pleasure in each step she took and celebrated with Patty at each graduation, birthday party, academic success, and were delighted when Jacqueline was placed in honors classes. 

Challenges: When Jacqueline was a sophomore in high school, her grandfather, with whom she was very close, was diagnosed with cancer.  Shortly afterwards, her grandmother had a stroke.  Jacqueline lived with both of her grandparents at the time.  In the span of a year and a half, Jacqueline had to deal with her grandparents' failing health and family conflicts which caused her and her mother to become homeless.  In addition to dealing with the stress of living in a homeless shelter, she was working part-time to help out with household expenses and going to school.

Jacqueline's grandfather passed away in the middle of her junior year.  Going to school and getting good grades became even tougher.  She never had a chance to fully grieve the loss of her grandfather and home.

Overcoming Challenges: A strong foundation paid off.  While Jacqueline struggled in her junior and senior years in high school, her strong reading skills helped her to realign her goals and do the necessary work to accomplish her goals.  The love of her grandparents, participation in sessions at Project Read's Families for Literacy workshops, supportive teachers, her hard work and, of course, the love of her mom all contributed to her success.    

Benefit: On June 4, 2009 Jacqueline graduated from Jefferson High School.  We were delighted to share the joy of seeing Jacqueline walk across the stage and receive her high school diploma.  Her next step is to enroll in a community college and work towards her goal of getting her college degree.

Oftentimes, the results of tutoring are felt equally by the people who surround a Project Read learner.

Congratulations Jacqueline for persevering through the tough times and achieving success!