Howard graduated from high school in 1997, but was not a strong reader. Working full time as a meat packer, he left school every day to go to work and sometimes didn't get home until midnight. "Everything was missing—I never really felt like a high school graduate."
When Howard was 23, he walked by a firehouse with its huge truck outside. He wanted to become a firefighter but when he realized he'd have to take a test, Howard knew that just wasn't going to happen.
Now at 32, Howard is progressing steadily in LSW's reading program—and he helps his nine-year-old son, Howard V, read and do his homework. When he gets off work driving a tow truck at night, Howard comes to school and often goes back to work again. "I don't sleep very much," he says with a grin.
Reflecting on his new reading skills, Howard says, "When I drive around, I see a lot of words. I can see 'Michigan,' or 'Dock Street,' or 'Holt,' and sound them out in my head. Now I can see the words, not just the letters—and my mind sees them faster than before."
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