Throughout my years of learning how to become literate in any given subject, Ive come to realize that you must

fully understand said subject in order to persevere. Where you reside and the day in age you live in, plays a major role in determining just how literate you are or should be. To be literate in any given subject, such as writing, reading, sports, etc. means that you have a very good understanding of how the system works and can work successfully given the conventions and constraints of the subject. Becoming literate begins at home. For example, one of the first and most important things we learn as a child is how to speak. I think that this shapes how we view literacy and how we go about obtaining knowledge in order to become successful. That being said, my parents always stressed the need to get an excellent education, in order to have a better understanding of the things around me and the world. Being conscious of what is being said and done around you, while knowing how to think about it can make all the difference when trying to understand something and thus become literate in that aspect. By doing that, my parents helped me learn a very important lesson early on in life and that is the importance of acquiring marketable skills, as well as how necessary it is to strive for excellence. I still remember my first day of pre-school, I was so excited that my parents were finally allowing me to learn on my own. Before I walked into the school, I turned back and told my mom not to worry because she had already taught me the alphabet and how to count to ten. As a child, my mom and older sister always read books to me at night, which sparked my interest in reading. I would read as many as I could find and tended to teach myself how to read books because my parents did not understand the English language. I became self-sufficient at an early age and this shapes how I learn today, as I am a hands on learner and tend to get lost in thought when someone is lecturing me.

I think reading is the gateway to literacy; it is fundamental. I dont think that you could learn how to fly a plane or become a doctor if you were illiterate. There are a few instances however, that reading, writing and/or math are not required or needed to learn certain skills and thus become proficient at them. Literacy in the arts, such as: dance, drawing, painting, singing, etc. are what I like to call Natural Literacies. You may need to do some reading to understand the terms, but in order to be literate in these subjects, you have to be born with a talent that only needs nurturing. You can achieve most literacies with hard work and determination, however, I believe that there are certain things, like the natural literacies I mentioned above, that you will not be able to perfect if you are born with a mental defect or simply two left feet because no matter how hard you try, you are just not wired that way. I learned the art of dance when I was five and danced for about eleven years. Dancing was something that I was expected to do and did at all the family parties as well as events at school. It is one of the most important things in my culture. In the Spanish community, there are many different genres of music and dance, which differs from country to country. There are twenty-one Spanish speaking countries and they each have their own genre of music and dance. Ive learned how to master many styles of dancing and continue to enjoy every step of the way. I believe thats I was born with this talent and my culture strengthened and nurtured my growth in dance. One of my goals in life is to learn every single type of dance. My dance teacher, Michelle Rogers, grew up in the same city as I did and I could relate to her point of view. One of her mottos was always perform, you never know whos watching. Throughout the years of learning how to dance as well as choreograph routines, I see that in order to truly be literate in something, you have to endeavor with an open mind and maintain an unbiased opinion. Music

and dance have played a major role in the way I view and define literacy today, as I dont think I would have been able to realize how broad of a subject it really is. I was born and raised in Union City, New Jersey, where I was exposed to a variety of cultures. I started to learn then and know now that not everything fits into a box, especially something as diverse as literacy. As I mentioned in class before, I learned English when I started going to school and this came about in the fourth going on fifth grade. One of the reasons it took me a little longer to learn the English language is because in the city that I am from, Spanish is used as much, if not more, than English. One of the most influential teachers Ive had is named Ms. Bagica. She was my sixth grade teacher and she taught me how to become a better writer and perfect the English language. She believed in me and told me that I could learn and do anything that I wanted, as long as I took the time. She made me realize that when you work hard and have a positive attitude, even when you fail, the sky is the limit. Throughout my childhood I had to interpret for my parents and represent my family when needed. Needless to say, I grew up quick and had to learn the proper terms and mannerisms in order to be taken seriously. This brings me to my next point in literacy, which is being socially literate. Over the years Ive come to realize that people play a major role in how you perceive literacy because most of the time someone teaches you what you need to learn. One of the most important things Ive learned in life is how to read people and determine what kind of personality they have. By knowing what to say and how to say it, Ive made good friends in high places that I eventually benefited from. For example, my algebra teacher in high school had a short fuse and you could tell he disliked his job. This made me not want to come to his class and dislike the subject all together. More than likely, if you do not have the right attitude then you will not learn from the experience and people are least likely to help you out. One example of this is how I was

able to obtain a position at the company I am currently working for, Duke Energy. I met one of my bosses, Tony Kendrick, while I was working a dead end job at Subway. He came in every day and got the same exact sub every time. After a few weeks, I memorized his sub and had it ready for him so that he didnt have to wait in line. This spoke volumes to him about my character and a few months later he offered me a position at the company. Words cannot express how grateful and happy I am for a better paying job. I am also ecstatic about the fact that I dont smell like a ham and cheese sandwich anymore. I learned that knowing how to treat people and thinking about what to say and/or do will have an impact on your life and may open doors to becoming literate in other things like learning how to use a computer because someone took the time to teach based how you treated them when you had your first encounter with them. Reading and writing have and continue to play a major role in my life. I read and write every day, as I am going to school and have a full time job which requires me to do so. I recently realized how much of an impact it has on my everyday life and how much more I need to learn. I had a rude awaking when I started my job at Duke Energy because using jargon is not professional and I felt as though I was learning how to read and write all over again. When I began working my position at Duke, I started by answering phone calls and was often deducted points on my quality by the Quality Assurance Team (QAT) because of the way I spoke and I was required to take a Business Writing Class and a Proper Grammar Class. Ive improved over time, but I still struggle with punctuation. This has definitely helped prepare me for my career. Now that I am a mother of two little girls, I use what I learned throughout the years to teach them the fundamental things in life. They have an advantage over me because I am American and I can teach them the proper way to do things, unlike myself who had to learn on my own when I was a child. I take all the information Ive learned from my parents, education,

as well as the world and teach them to the best of my ability. My parents are old school, but I teach my daughters the way my mother taught me, as far as the mannerisms and the Spanish language. There are many things however, that I do totally different, such as, giving them the freedom to decide what they are going to wear and letting them ask me whatever comes to mind. Raising my girls has opened my eyes to the fact that everyone learns at a different pace and may use a different method. Literacy is as diverse as people and there is always room for growth.