Testimonials

Student Testimonials

Below are the writings of some of our students, who wish to share their personal experiences.

Noe Hernandez, ESL Student

"My name is Noe Hernandez. I am a student of English with the Literacy Council and I am feeling very lucky to have my teacher because I learn new words and some other things that I have not known and I am very happy."

Angela Panos from Moldova

It seems like it was yesterday...the captain spoke, the airplane touched the ground and I stepped on American soil for the first time.

It was December 2001...
With hopes as big as life, with my eyes wide open and four words in my English vocabulary - here I was in America.

Different continent, different country, different culture, and different language - I was not scared, just a little bit concerned.

I was a talkative person, but knowing only the words, "yes", "no", "OK", and "yesterday", was not enough to hold a conversation. I was lucky because after a week in Myrtle Beach, I learned about the Horry County Literacy Council. It was a nice surprise to learn that this kind of course is available for people like myself.

My husband brought me to school for my first lesson. We met my first English teacher, Mrs. Neher. I didn't speak English, she didn't speak my language... so the first lesson went on with a lot of smiles, shaking of heads, funny faces and the often used gesture, "I don't understand a word coming out of your mouth!" Mrs. Neher's confidence and encouragement had a huge impact on my learning process. Like a loving mother, her response to my, "I feel like I can't", was, "Just try harder, you can do it!"

It was not easy; pronunciation, spelling, different meanings for the same word, different spellings for the same pronunciation, let me not even get started on verbs and nouns, suffixes and prefixes, but I knew, "I can do it, I just have to try harder."
I still have a long way to go but I feel so good and proud because I am now able to answer to the clerk at the post office, to listen to the radio, to read a book and to be able to write this now, all this in English.

Thank you, dear teachers, Mrs. Neher, Mrs. Long, the executive director, Pat Bush and Program Coordinator, Leslie Babcock... thank you all for generously sharing your time and knowledge, for your hard work and dedication, for genuine support and confidence, for your encouragement and patience. I owe more than I can express, your contribution is priceless.

Timothy Grissett
My Time with H.C.L.C.

My boss Nancy told me about the program. I waited four years for someone to help me. I wanted to read better because I wanted to get my commercial driver's license. I wanted to drive an 18 wheeler.

I started working with a volunteer July 2007 and I have almost two skill books. My reading is a lot better.

I can sound out words using phonics. I will start using a C.D.L. manual with my lessons soon. Maybe I can help someone to read someday.

Anonymous
September 11, 2001

This is what happened on September 11, 2001

I was lying in bed depressed. I didn't know what to do. I had just gone through a divorce. I couldn't read. I had decided to give up on life until I saw that plane fly into the World Trade Center. As I listened to the news I began to be angry. I thought about all those people who lost their lives and I came alive again.

I knew that if I could find the right help, I could change things in my life, so I began looking for help. I found that help I needed through the Horry County Literacy Council.

I have been working with a tutor two nights a week in math and one night a week in reading for almost a year. I am now reading on a sixth grade level. What a great change it has made in my life as I see bashfulness disappear as I reach for higher goals. I want to say thanks to everyone involved.

Cuc Nguyen
Accelerated ESL student writes about her country, VietNam

Accelerated ESL student writes about her country, VietNam

Day by day... and the day of the thirtieth of April again comes. Today is April thirtieth, two thousand and nine.

The day of the thirtieth of April thirty-four years ago. VietNam was totally ruled by the Vietnamese communists who came from the north of VietNam. We lost VietNam. We lost everything.

I remember that night, on April twenty-eighth, nineteen seventy-five, my town was so quiet. My sister and I half opened the window. We saw Vietnamese communist soldiers walking back and forth on the street in front of my house. My heart almost stopped beating. I was so desolated. First time I saw them, they were very very mediocre. In my mind, southern soldiers were so of great fortitude and awe inspiring. They brought all youthfulness and fervency to the country.
I asked myself, "Why? Why? Why were we defeated? No, we weren't defeated, we couldn't!"
After that day, every night I heard the noise of a lot of trucks all night running toward the north.
In those trucks were all the kinds of goods that they stole from the southern government and the factories...my head was pain, my heart contracted.
Meanwhile southern Vietnamese had to live a hard life, they lived in anxiety, poor and starving, All southern soldiers and people who worked for the governemnt were put in the prisons which the communist people called "re-education camps". All prisons were in the deep, thick forests. They were treated barbarously. A lot of people tried to go overseas. They knew they could die in the sea, but they went anyway to find a good life: freedom life.

Now, inside the country, the communist leaders sold the lands, islands, highlands to China.

The jeopardy to lose the country to China was near.
Tonight I cry, cry. I don't want to because tomorrow I have to go to work, but my tears spurt out.
I cry because of my beloved people, my beloved country.

Allen DeWitt
Excerpt from his weekly Journal Writing

My name is Allen DeWitt. My home is Myrtle Beach. I live in a nice apartment. I like my life;
I have a good life.

I like to ride a bike. I like to draw a cat. I like to fly a kite in my yard.
When I was little, my grandmother took me to the fair. She bought me a candy apple. She bought me some pink cotton candy. I like to ride the bus.
Allen DeWitt likes to eat a big ol' Thanksgiving turkey. I like to eat chocolate cake on Thanksgiving.

I try to get to work on time. I like to work around people. I like to play with my remote controlled motorcycle. It goes fast. I have a Mustang. It is remote controlled too. It is as fast as my motorcycle.

I like to draw a picture of a boat. I rode on a boat for the first time with Pastor Jeff. The boat took me for a fast ride. We spun around in the water in the boat. Later Pastor Jeff, the staff and I ate lunch at a cafe. I like to race in a big boat. I would like to drive the boat. I would ride until the boat ran out of gas.

I like to make a dinosaur. I like to see an elephant eat. I saw my first elephant at a circus when
I was 10.

I like to take the trash out because I get to go outside. I also like to wipe the tables off. I went
to Freestyle Park this weekend. I rode the train, the ferris wheel and the roller coaster. The
I watched the ice show. Later I rode on the swings, I saw a lady acting like the Statue of Liberty.

P. Lane 09/29/03

Schools use books and reading to teach. Some people write their own books as a source of income. Doctors use medical books. Business people use books to keep an account of their business activities such as inventory accounts, expenses and debts.

Books have good stories too. I am reading a book called Easy To Read Stories. It has many good stories. One of the stories I really enjoyed reading is The Teeny Tiny Woman. It makes me laugh when I read it. It has so many of the same words that I read in my Skillbook. I have learned a lot during my tutoring sessions.
I have progressed from Book I to Book 2 in my reading Skillbooks. This is a good learning experience for me. I have more knowledge than before. My tutoring sessions are once a week but I feel that I could learn even more if I was given more tutoring sessions.

Reading will open your mind and your heart.
Books are used to make a library. People read books for fun such as puzzle books and game books. People use books for reference like dictionaries, encyclopedias, and atlases. There are books to learn about all things such as cooking, sewing, painting, and other hobbies.

People use books to receive all levels of education such as diplomas., B.S's., PhD's., and certificates. People read for relaxation, fun and learning all things.
Without books and the ability to read, people would be lost.

I learned my vowels better than before my tutoring sessions. I can recognize my words better now. I want to learn to read and write. I want to be able to help my grandchildren. One thing I want is cursive writing. I am trying to do some cursive writing.

Woodrow Jackson, assisted by Geraline Davis, tutor, Why I Wanted To Read
I grew up on the farm and had to help my Daddy's farm. I had to miss school. So I missed a lot of school. I grew up in Hemingway, farm country. I could not read but I can find most places when driving. I have my drivers license because of the old test which showed pictures of the signs.

I wanted to read because I want to read road signs, the Bible, the Sunday School lesson, Bible study, prayer meetings and learn to pray from prayers in the Bible, just to be able to read anything, like a letter I got in the mail. I hope that I can get a library card, read simple books, learn new words and my ABC's.

I heard about this program from a person that I work for doing landscaping. I thank them for this because now I am learning to read.

Geraline Davis
Tutor

Mr. Jackson and I have been working together since August 12, 2003. Mr. Jackson is my first student. I told him the other day I was very nervous about teaching someone. He assured me that he was nervous also, but he was coming to the class anyway. Mr. Jackson is an energetic student, he has not missed any classes, he is on time, and he is progressing in his studies. I told him that I see him writing and reading with the best. I pray that he will accomplish all his goals.

Miriam Lorena
ESL Student, Tutor, Pushpa Saxena, October 1, 2003

My name is Miriam. I am from Honduras. I'm married and I have two children. I have been in the USA for fifteen years.

I started my English class three months ago with my teacher, Mrs. Saxena, at the
Myrtle Square Mall. In this three months I feel happy, because I am learning a lot from Skillbook 3. I am learning how to write, read, pronounce, write checks and more.

I really enjoy the Skillbook 3 and can't wait to finish it. I love English and I love being an English student.

Reading means a lot to me like other people. When books talk, I can listen and understand.

Luz Greene

When I was a child, I would get tired playing with friends. I had a very sweet Grandpa, who always had a book in his hands day after day. I started to wonder if books are good. One afternoon I did not have anything to do and I decided to ask my Grandpa if he would let me read one of his books. He gave me one with a lot of pictures and letters. I was reading that book from the beginning to the end.

After this day, I was always looking for my Grandpa's books and new books around my house. I had always remembered my talks with Grandpa about books and one day he told me, "Books are good for you because you are learning new ideas, new things, and if you keep yourself busy with books you will be a smart and educated person.

Years later, books were my favorite pastime and close friends. When I had a question, I would go to the bookstore or public library. And if I really needed the book, I would just buy it and enjoy it. I read many kinds of books in my life and I have always had something to talk about with this experience that opened opportunities to grow.

Sometimes I am curious for foreign languages and books in English so I started to study English as my second language because a lot of people write books and international magazines in English.

Reading books in a new language is a big challenge to know new cultures, history and tradition about people in new countries in the world. The satisfaction to understand and read books in other languages is amazing.

Books are very important in the life of persons for that is good to make a big effort to promote the habit of reading in the younger readers.

Casey Wang
10/14/03

When I first came to America three years ago, I didn't know a word of English. Through Horry County Literacy Council they found me an ESL teacher. Mrs. Nita and her husband, Mr. Gene Sparks, have helped me a great deal. They began to work with me the first week I came here. First we met at the Conway Library twice a week, then later, she invited me to her home. We worked on my reading, writing, spelling. She is a very patient and understanding person, I had no problem being with her. As time went by, we became great friends.

Mrs.Nita told me that English is a very hard language, but when you get connected to it, it doesn't seem so hard after all. I have trouble with my grammar, and she is trying to correct me everytime I say something wrong. I have lots of fun while I learn. When I go to her house after school, she helps me with my homework if don't understand it. We also take a lot of breaks, sometimes we may have a snack or just work in the yard.

Besides English, she also taught me about plants. I love to work on plants with her. She seems to know so much about them. She taught me how to plant plants, root plants, and how to pick and cut them. We also have fun decorating the house for different holidays or seasons. Now I even help her to baby-sit. Around her, I am not afraid to talk. When I start to talk too fast, Mr. Gene will always say, "Are you talking Chinese English or the Spark's English?" Then I will say,"I am talking the Chinese English."

He always tells jokes on me. The house always seems in a good mood and it is filled with happiness and kindness. I really enjoy having Mrs.Nita as my ESL teacher. It's not only English that I learned. I also learned that it doesn't matter who you are, what is your skin color, and background, you are still a part of the "big family." Because we are all humans and we can't live without one another.