ith education I can go places and do things to help other people and be proud of myself. Without education I can't go to the store, pump gas or drive a car. I can't read a newspaper either, or a book and can't do math. Sometimes I feel alone, nobody is with me.

hen I was a little child, ix years old, my father died in my country, Togo. After that, I didn't have anybody to take care of me because my mother was very poor. Then one of my cousins came from Ghana and told my mother that he wanted to take me with him to Ghana and to take care of me. My mother said that I was somebody who liked to go to school, and that if he could help me to go to school, he could take me to Ghana. My cousin told my mother that he would send me to school, but when he took me to Ghana he didn't do what he said.

I stayed with him and worked for him for many years, but sitll he didnt' send me to school. At that time, many people came to my cousin and told him that I needed to go to school because I was a good, fine boy. But he still did not send me to school.

There were many children in the village. On Saturday and Sunday we played together and were happy, but on Monday through Friday all the other children went to school. I was the only one left in the village. Sometimes that was very difficult for me.

Then, one day, one of my friends called me and told me that from that day on, I should stop helping my cousin. "Don't help him anymore," my friend said. "If you stop helping him, maybe he will let you go to school and learn something." When my friend told me that, I decided not to help my cousin. I was angry and began to go where I liked.

One morning, my cousin called me to come to his bedroom. "Kossi," he said, "after all these years, why aren't you helping me.?"

"Because I want to go to school," I told him that even though I was nineteen years old I wanted to go to school.

That day was a Friday and he took me to school on Monday. I wrote my name. I was nineteen years old. I started class with the little children in 1977. I did a good job in school and at the end of the year the school master called me to say I had finished the text and told me I was very smart. By 1978 I finished class four and finished class seven in 1981. I stopped attending school at the end of the year. I returned to my country and married that same year.

When I came to America I knew I needed to continue my education, but I couldn't because I have a big family and I need to work to take care of them. I have tried hard to continue my education and I am still trying. If God helps me, I will continue.

This is my story.

ducation is important to me because it can take you far in life. It can take you as far as you let it. Having an education gives you the opportunity to broaden your mind and to explore new and exciting things. Without an education you would not be able to get a job that pays well.

In my personal experience, having an education gives you the chance to get a better job. I personally regret not taking advantage of my education when I had the chance. Now that I am older, it has been hard for me to get my GED. I encourage others to go back to school to finish their education.

don't know when it started, but often there is a movie melody singing in my heart: "Shall we dance? Shall we dance? On a bright cloud of music shall we fly..." Did you see the movie Shall We Dance? Five or six years ago I saw a Japanese movie Shall We Dance? It's a long time ago, so I don't remember the exact story. An outline of the story is:

There is a man who is a common and ordinary bank officer. He is very honest, but his life is dull. One day he has a chance to go to a dance studio. He takes a lesson and it changes his life. He is not only interested in dance, but also gradually his life becomes full of energy.

I've been here in America just one and a half months. English language is very important in this community. Because of my low English, before the class, everyday was boring and I met just a few people. But the class started aftger January 8th and I met many friends in the class. They are from different nations and cultures. They have different purposes in the class, but we have the same goal; that is to learn good English. And we are doing well. We have a great and happy time in the class.

There is a Japanese woman, Yukiko, who makes sushi and an Iraqi, Nahla, who always wears a hair scarf, a romantic Frenchman, Mr. Domingo and in the middle of us there is a teacher, Mr. Jim Gordon.

The hero of the movie, after he started going to the dance studio, his life became full of energy and vitality. I think it is the same for us. In the class we are more than just foreigners or ignorant people. We understand our low English level and we make a very energetic conversation with each other. I think this class is not just to study English, but also it has rich meanings. Learning more English will change our lives more beneficially and vitally. So it isn't just a place; it includes our future life in the U.S.A. Right now I have a dream. Someday I'll very naturally say, "Shall we talk?"

ducation is a never ending learning -- whether in school or at home. As a homemaker, I am learning different things in order to find out what interest most for my son to achieve his goal in his class. I was in the Adult Education for two and a half years to improve myself in math and English. And I have learned that children imitate what parents do.

There are times I learn from him, too. The way eduation now a days is different than mine. We didn't have computers in the early years. In first grade he is already writing sentences. I thought I'm done with my education twenty years ago. I got a job for sixteen years. When I got my own family and have a child, then I have to begin again in all aspects of learning -- physically, mentally, and emotionally. Every year I learn something that is new for me.

y goal for the next few years is to get my GED. I have wanted this for a long time. I want to be able to hold my diploma in my hands for real, to bring closure to this chapter in my life. I know to achieve this goal I must work very hard. I have to be able to study at home and in my spare time. I have to put this in the fgront of everything else right now. In order to achieve this goal I must keep focus and keep my mind clear. I want my GED so badly that I can almost taste it.

I know by getting my GED I can move up in my job. It could help me, when the time comes, to get a better raise. I see other guys, who haven't been on the job long, pass me by and get the foreman job, and these people don't have the experience to do the job and I have to train them. So I say to myself, "Enough is enough. Do what you have to do to get my GED." Now you know why I am going all out this year to achieve my goal. I will be the first person in my family, out of 12 children, to get my GED. This will be a big task for me, but I believe in myself more than ever. I won't give up because getting your GED is a big accomplishment in your life. I will not give up on my goal because I know it can come true.

ne day my ESL teacher, Chip, handed me a study paper. That was just one big star on the page. That was for me more than one star. That star reminded me of the symbol under one star. Now I live under fifty stars in America. This is much better.

I changed my life, my behavior, my character, and my friends for better things in my future. Many things are happening suddenly. All is changed in my life.

When I was a child I had a dream for better living in America. It was a far away land and helpful to everyone. Now this dream is reality. I have everything that I dreamed of in my youth.

I remember many things from my dreams and they now have changed for the better. I am now much hapier than I ever dreamed. I remember thinking, is not education everything in life?

For my education it is never too late. But I study ESL and finished mini-med school. I need to enroll in many courses and meet many people in America. I must be a useful part of American society.

Many years have passed and I admire the most beautiful country in the world, the country from my dream.

ife with education has become my favorite dream I have ever had. When I came to the U.S. my education hope was crushed after I heard that I would get a job, instead of going to school. At first, I got my job. After a couple months, I started taking ESL class after work. It was a hard time when I started, but now I'm getting used to it, and I hope it will soon be normal to me just like it is for others.

The class I'm taking has been helpful to me in different ways. My communications with other people have become easier. I'm making friends and having much more fun while learning. When I take a look back, my work still dominates all of my time, but I'm pretty sure that my learning will become more important.

The more I learn, the more I enjoy it. And the more I get better at it. Here I am. I really need skills, because I feel empty, and I don't want to be like this all the time.

It has been my pleasure, having such wonderful classmates. I want to particularly thank my dedicated and tireless teachers who have helped me to keep reaching my goals. I am still looking forward.

I always remember an old man, a friend of mine from my village in Tanzania. I asked him, "Grandpa, how do you feel being a pilot and not any longer working on the plane?" He told me, "Listen, my young friend, education is the light of our lives. With my skill I feel more comfortable than others, even with lack of employment."

He was one of my favorite storytellers. He used to tell me that people always seem to be more important or useful after they pass away. It was my bad luck that my young mind never took anything seriously. Sometimes I think I had mood swings. On some evenings before bedtime, he came up and he would call me, and I would answer, "No, no story this evening." I used to believe that I would be with him forever. Finally he passed away in his 82nd ear. I miss him and I miss hisstories. And now I realize that he was important to me more than I thought.

hy do people come to America? Look for money? Look for life? I'm looking for education.

I came three years ago, but now I have to do something new. I need to keep learning English. I need to work for education. This is my plan. I need to work with the Adult Learning Center with education. I would like to help the people of the world. Thanks to every teacher and volunteer. I would like to be a volunteer.

remember when I was in high school in my country Costa Rica. English lessons were a headache. I never liked them because the more I studied the more confused I was.

Sometimes my younger sister helped me since she loves to study English. But she also made fun of my pronunciation, especially when I tried to sing songs in English.

One day I took an English test and I got a good grade. My teacher told me, "It was a miracle!" I felt bad because I was afraid that I never could learn English.

Now, I realize that I can learn English and I am enjoying it because I am here in the school. I understand and speak more and more every day. However, the most important thing is that here I meet with different people like myself that are trying to learn English and have the same difficulties as me.

This gives me a lot of confidence to learn more.

hen I came to the United States, I couldn't read, write and speak English very well because I studied in Arabic. I have a high school degree.

Last April I started to take ESL classes in the Adult Learning Center. When I started it was very hard for me to read and write very well, but our teacher, Chip, is a very great teacher. He always helps us to understand vocabulary and also he gives us chance to make conversations during the class.

I have learned through him the importance not only of learning. He is always concerned about every student and that motivates each student. Our teacher Chip has made a positive impact on my learning now and onwards. He is a very great teacher.

Before I came to the USA, my dream was to learn English very well and go to the United states to attend the university in USA. I think my dream is going to be true. Actually, I came to the United States and learned some English, and still I am learning. But still my dream is the same: how to finish ESL classes and get the TOEFL certificate to attend the university in the United States.

The major that I want to study is politics in AFrica and economic difficulty. I will go back to my country with a real strong education. The thing that I have learned is that you have to have an education. The more education, the better the jobs. Nothing is easy without an education.

am from Sudan. I came to America on August 12, 2004. I am 33 years old. I am single. The people from the USA are nice people. I work at UVA Recycling. I am driving trucks. I collect newspaper and bottles and cans. Thank you. God bless America. I am so happy in the USA. I am driving. I have a car. I help my family in Africa. I need to speak English to help myself.

s you were growing up, what were your thoughts about life? Plus, as a part of your current life style, what is your most important thing you consider these days?

As for me, I used to think that "money" is the way to be successful in life so that I could get anything by using my own money. In that point, you simply understand me this way such as, a lot about going on trips spend money on a new car, and the like. Right! I remember always wanting to be rich. I believed that "money" makes everything.

We need money in order to live. It is true! But why don't we view our life from a different angle? Money is not everything. We need more valuable things. I have been learning through my experience that I have to earn some money, not big money, but enough money to have a healthy life. My point is that healthy life is better than wealthy. I am talking about that I am going to live meaningfully.

I do believe money is either the root of evil or good. If I focus my attention on true happiness, I can find the ultimate purpose of life. IN that respect, I found myself my happiness in my life. That is absolutely "My family."

I am not interested in putting everything on the useless things for instance: new car, luxury watch, and so on. I also know what the good aspects of money are or the evil aspects that money has. Let's talk about it.

When it comes to the living expenses, our life is sort of a struggle. To satisfy our greed with money, we don't know how much money we need. But if we want to stabilize our livehlihood, in fact, we don't need a lot of money to be happy ourselves. It is an undeniable fact: the problem is always our greed.

Let's move to the real things that I want to tell you. As you read, my attitude toward happiness is my family. I have faith in my family. That means I am always giving and receiving numerous gifts from my family. The first thing that I am doing to give hope to my family is education. I strongly believe that education is the key to keep our joy and happiness to be high.

Our society, at least during the past ten years, has been changing differently compared to the past. Without education, we hardly adjust ourselves to society. Money cannot last forever. Moreover, if you want your children to be someone important, the best of choices you can pick in your circumstances is education.

I find my happiness and my family's through education. That's why I am here in America. I think children are inspired by books and their parents. I delight in reading my daughters' report cards from school teachers. They tell me that my children are very helpful and kind to their frie3nds, and they have a positive attitude. I believe it's because parents give them the right attitude on the inside. I am not saying scholarly activity is everything. My point of view on education is that exemplary conduct, as a role model, can lead your children to go near and further to be a helpful person in our society.

From the beginning to the end, parents have to make preparation for the good things for their children. I am sure it should be education from good parents. I am eagerly expecting that my children will do great things for our society in the future.

or me it is very important to pay attention to the education of my children. They are the future society. They need to learn to know about themselves. Then they will understand the importance of respect for parents, teachers, and others. They should use this respect of family and other parents.

We know that the children of today will be the society of the future. Usually, when I think aobut some child, it is not that his bad habits come from simply being a child. He is a product of the care of his parents. This is the responsibility of parents. They should teacher their children that they should be honest and helpful to others. Then they will be able to achieve in their jobs and their lives.

o go to my homeland you must go far from here, half a world away. In Monland it is hard to study. It is a poor country that is always at war.

Before I went to school, I cried because I was scared of the teachers. Someone had told me that the teachers shouted and never smiled. I was told that the teachers liked to hold sticks all the time to discipline students. When I went to school I saw that it was okay. I had fun and I liked learning and studying. My parents had an education. They always told us (their children) that people should have the highest education and continue learning all their lives. I believe education can end war and bring the world peace. With education people can have good jobs and good lives.

Now I am still learning at the Adult Learning Center. I go to my ESL class because I want to get my star (my GED and a college degree.) If I have my star I can have a good job and a good life. I would use my education to help other people and I would give back to the community. I will be a doctor. I could work in a hospital or volunteer around the world. One day I might go back to my homeland to treat people there.

came to this country with my son in November 2000. When I arrived here I didn't know any English language. I couldn't help my son in his homework. It was a very difficult time for us. In the beginning, my husband started teaching me English. In our home we spoke a mixture of two languages: Russian and English. I tried to listen to radio and television almost all the time.

In 2001 I began working at the Mountainside Senior Living in Crozet, it was not easy with my limited language. My friends, co-workers, and residents where I worked help me very much. After a while my language was good enough that I was able to pass the driver's exam. My husband worked late hours and was unable to take me to school, but now I can drive myself to classes. In class I have learned English and how to use the internet so I can communicate with my family and friends in Russia and USA. This gives me the opportunity to learn many things nad have a much better future.

ducation is very important for me. I am an old woman but education has never stopped for me.

Since I don't know English, my first English study was very difficult.

I am so thankful to teachers, volunteers and the Adult Learning Center. Without them I would be blind and deaf.

If I don't understand what somebody says to me, I am like a deaf person. If I don't know what I read, I am like a blind person. It is very difficult and frustrating.

I am also thankful to UVA Facilities Management. It gives me opportunites and possibilities.

My daughter and son-in-law also help me so much with my education and with any other things that I need.

Because of the war in my country, Yugoslavia, I lost everything I had. My daughter and son-in-law called me and gave me the opportunity and possibility to live with them in their house in Virginia.

When I came to the U.S. I felt like a lost child. I did not understand anyting about this country, so my daughter and son-in-law took care of me. They helped me to find a jbo, go to the bank, buy a car, and translate my Serbian words into English and with almost everything else in my life.

It was very hard for them because they have small children and jobs.

Now my granddaughter, Natasha, is growing up. She is inthe third grade and she now helps me with my English.

Thanks to so many people who have helped me.

My education has never stopped. I want to include Mr. Lee Rank, my first tutor, who has given much effort and patience to me. He started teaching me when I didn't understand English words and with a few small breaks, he is still my teacher.

y hometown is Kedala in India. I came to the United States three years ago. Before coming to the States, I lived with my family in India. After my high school education I got married and settled as a housewife. I could not continue my education after marriage.

When I moved to the States it was hard for me to communicate with people because I lost touch with the English language. It was a different environment with a different culture and tradition. So it was hard for me to find a job in Charlottesville. I felt the need and importance of education in one's life. But finally I got a job at UVA. Now I am working in Facilities Management. This was the first job in my life.

Some days I feel if I pursued my education, I would have gotten a better job. This was why I joined the English classes. This class has helped me a lot and gives me more confidence while talking with people. I want to continue studying and provide opportunities for my children so that they can have a better education and a better life.

have been going to English as a Second Language classes provided for UVA workers. My goals are to learn more so I can speak fluently and be able to understand others. For example, I want to be able to talk to people on the street and at work fluently. I also want to "write the newspaper" and know what's going on. Of course, right now I can only understand half of the news on TV.

Also I want to take some other courses. However, I need to learn more about the English language first. About seven years ago, while I was working in the electric trade, I went to CATEC to get my license as an electrician. After four years, I failed the last semester. I failed because I did not understand English very well. When I lose the meaning of one word, I lose the meaning of the complete sentence. I hope that one day I will be able to write a letter by myself. Then, I will be able to communicate with friends around the country and even around the world. Many people speak English around the world.