Letisha, a working mother of two young children, had tried two other literacy organizations as she worked towards her GED. When she came to Literacy Services of Wisconsin in 2009, it was an immediate fit. Letisha recalled, “It was the one-on-one tutoring.
I had my tutor’s undivided attention and I was able to work on my own specific problem areas without interruption.” She added that LSW’s flexible hours made it easy to get classes around her work schedule. Because it was an intensive one-on-one experience, she felt there was less of a time commitment than there would have been in a large classroom setting. Letisha progressed quickly; after a brief stint in the Adult Basic Education program to refresh her skills, Letisha was able to transition into the GED program with ease.
The challenges of working, raising her two kids, and studying for her GED took their toll, however, and Letisha had to take a six-month break from LSW. But when she returned, she was determined to let nothing get in her way of her ultimate goal; she was going to complete her GED. And she did, crossing the stage at MATC during the citywide GED graduation ceremony in June of 2014 with LSW’s largest graduating class to date.
“I know the mistakes I made in life, and I don’t want my kids to make the same ones.”
Letisha’s greatest motivation is being a mother. As her children grew up, she knew it was vital to set a good example for them and this helped spur her on to success. “I know the mistakes I made in life, and I don’t want my kids to make the same ones.” Although her children rarely mention Letisha’s achievement, she said, “I know they are paying close attention to what I do.” Their education is extremely important to her, and she is an involved parent, often helping her son with his reading. Recently she decided that the school they were in was not good enough in terms of the quality of the education, so she enrolled them at Messmer, a private preparatory school in Milwaukee. She is very happy with her decision as her children are doing very well in their classes. “They WILL graduate from high school. There is no GED option as far as I am concerned. They have to get their high school diplomas.”
Letisha is still working and studying. She is currently employed in a daycare while also enrolled in the Information Technology program at Brensten Education in Waukesha. She will graduate in October 2015 and has been interviewing for a better paying job in the IT field.
“The example I am setting is my way of teaching my children, of showing them that a goal can be reached,” Letisha shared. “I want to be the person they look up to in life.”