When Fred came to Literacy Services of Wisconsin (LSW) two years ago, he could not read. "It was embarrassing," he notes. "I couldn't even sign the forms to register my kids for school."
Fred was repeatedly stopped by police for driving without a license, which he did because he could not read to take the test. While working at the Grede Foundry for 38 years, he was forced to take only low paying jobs because he couldn't read the blueprints or the papers necessary to advance his career.
Growing up, Fred was unable to attend school; as the oldest boy of 12 children, he had to work to support the family. "I picked and chopped cotton because you had to work to eat," he says.
The father of nine girls, grandfather to 33, and great-grandfather to seven, Fred began his schooling at the age of 61 and has excelled in his time at LSW. "My confidence has improved 100%. Now I stand up and have stopped doubting myself."
When asked what the ability to read has done for him, Fred says that he can order off the menu at a restaurant and travel now without getting lost. His greatest joy, though, is the fact that his family is so proud of him—as are we.
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