Literacy is being able to understand one’s own thoughts and idea well enough to be able to put them into a physical form, whether it be from talking or writing. It also means that you are able to read and understand someone else’s. Literacy for me was what was expected. I had to learn to read and write in school, as all students under the curriculum do. This expectation was not where I began, however. My mother, who is one of my Sponsors of Literacy helped me find strength and love in the literary world. I can remember always wanting new books to read when I was younger. I didn’t quite understand that there wasn’t a ton of leftover money to spend on trivial things like getting books from the book fair. Little did I know that my mom was saving as much as she could and going to thrift stores and secondhand shops to find books for me. She found a box of worn out Babysitter’s Club books for a decent price and got them right before my 7th birthday. I can remember spending all summer reading the books and trying, and failing, to write my own. The love my mom showed me in our darkest years helped me find a passion for learning, reading, and writing that has followed me ever since.
