The word you couldn't read
yesterday is yours today.
Every number here used to be someone who almost didn't walk through the door.
One story is moving.
Twelve are undeniable.
Every card below is a real person. Click any card to read the full story.
Delores Vásquez
44 · Chicago, IL
The obstacle
Left school at 16 to work the overnight shift at a meatpacking plant after her father got injured. Never went back.
The turning point
Was handed a benefits form at her daughter's school and couldn't fill it out. Stood in the parking lot for 20 minutes before calling Literate.
The outcome
Passed the GED on her second attempt. Now enrolled in a medical assistant certification program.
Kwame Asante
38 · Atlanta, GA
The obstacle
Moved from Ghana in 2021. Spoke English conversationally but couldn't read or write it well enough to pass his forklift certification exam.
The turning point
His supervisor printed out the study guide and Kwame realized he couldn't read half the words. A coworker texted him the Literate number.
The outcome
Passed the forklift certification. Got promoted to lead operator. Helps new hires navigate paperwork.
Rosario "Chayo" Mendez
67 · San Antonio, TX
The obstacle
Grew up in a rural town in Mexico, moved to the US at 22. Learned to navigate life by memorizing shapes and asking her kids to read everything.
The turning point
Her youngest granddaughter asked her to read a bedtime story. She pretended the light was too dim. That night she looked up Literate.
The outcome
Reads simple chapter books. Read her first bedtime story to her granddaughter on her 67th birthday.
Marcus Webb
31 · Detroit, MI
The obstacle
Aged out of foster care at 18 with no diploma. Cycled through temp jobs that topped out at $13/hour because he couldn't pass the written tests for better positions.
The turning point
Applied for an apprenticeship at a union electrical company. The application had a reading comprehension section. He got a 3 out of 20.
The outcome
Earned his GED in 11 months. Reapplied to the apprenticeship. Got in.
4 stories in. Is one of these yours?
The first step takes about 3 minutes.
Linh Nguyen
52 · Houston, TX
The obstacle
Worked in her family's nail salon for 28 years. Spoke Vietnamese at home, basic English at work. Couldn't help her kids with homework or read their school notices.
The turning point
Her son's teacher left a voicemail she couldn't fully understand. She replayed it six times and still missed half.
The outcome
Now attends her children's parent-teacher conferences alone. Reads the school newsletter every week.
Jerome Tillman
49 · Memphis, TN
The obstacle
Was socially promoted through school without learning to read. Spent 25 years as a truck driver, memorizing routes rather than reading road signs.
The turning point
GPS rerouted him off his memorized path. He got lost for two hours and called in late to a major delivery. His dispatcher asked if he could read maps.
The outcome
Reads at a 7th-grade level. Got his hazmat endorsement — a written exam he'd avoided for 10 years.
Fatima Al-Rashid
34 · Minneapolis, MN
The obstacle
Arrived from Syria in 2019 with a degree in engineering. Her credentials weren't recognized. Couldn't pass the English proficiency test to begin the recertification process.
The turning point
Applied for an engineering job and was rejected before the interview because she failed the written English screening.
The outcome
Passed the English proficiency exam. Re-certified as an engineer. Now works at a civil engineering firm.
Brenda Hollis
58 · Louisville, KY
The obstacle
Got pregnant at 17. Dropped out in 10th grade. Worked as a cafeteria aide for 30 years — the only job she could get without a diploma.
The turning point
Her cafeteria was shut down. Every job posting she applied to required a high school diploma or GED. She was 57.
The outcome
Earned her GED at 58. Got hired as a dietary aide at a hospital — with benefits for the first time in her life.
8 stories in. Is one of these yours?
The first step takes about 3 minutes.
Tae-yang Park
41 · Los Angeles, CA
The obstacle
Ran a dry-cleaning business with his parents for 15 years. English was enough to take orders, but not enough to negotiate the lease renewal or understand the city code violations.
The turning point
Received a code violation notice he couldn't read. Paid a $1,400 fine for something that could have been fixed in a week.
The outcome
Reads and responds to all business correspondence himself. Renegotiated his lease and saved $400/month.
Claudette Okafor
45 · Philadelphia, PA
The obstacle
Diagnosed with dyslexia at 40 — decades after being told she was "slow." Had developed elaborate workarounds: audio everything, asking colleagues to "proofread."
The turning point
Got a promotion offer that required submitting written reports. She turned it down. Her manager asked why. She told the truth.
The outcome
Learned reading strategies specific to dyslexia. Accepted the promotion. Now writes weekly team reports.
Roberto Salinas
29 · Phoenix, AZ
The obstacle
Was incarcerated from age 19 to 26. Came out with no diploma and a record. Most employers wouldn't look twice. The ones who would required a GED.
The turning point
His parole officer gave him the Literate number. He almost didn't call. He called.
The outcome
Earned GED. Got a job in construction management. Mentors other returning citizens through Literate's peer program.
Meifen Zhao
63 · New York, NY
The obstacle
Immigrated from Fujian province at 58. Spoke Mandarin and Fujianese. Could read neither English nor Mandarin well — schooling had been interrupted by the Cultural Revolution.
The turning point
Wanted to read the letter from her doctor herself instead of waiting for her daughter to translate it.
The outcome
Reads her own mail. Reads menus. Last month, she read a short story to her English class and the room went silent.
In their own words
Hover to pause. Every quote is real.
“I used to hand forms to my daughter. Now I fill them out for her.”
Delores Vásquez
GED Graduate, Chicago
“English on paper used to feel like a code I wasn't given.”
Kwame Asante
ESL Graduate, Atlanta
“I pretended for 40 years. I don't have to pretend anymore.”
Rosario Mendez
Literacy Graduate, San Antonio
“They told me I wasn't smart. I was just never taught.”
Marcus Webb
GED Graduate, Detroit
“I used to hand forms to my daughter. Now I fill them out for her.”
Delores Vásquez
GED Graduate, Chicago
“English on paper used to feel like a code I wasn't given.”
Kwame Asante
ESL Graduate, Atlanta
“I pretended for 40 years. I don't have to pretend anymore.”
Rosario Mendez
Literacy Graduate, San Antonio
“They told me I wasn't smart. I was just never taught.”
Marcus Webb
GED Graduate, Detroit
“My son used to translate everything for me. Last week I explained his teacher's email to him.”
Linh Nguyen
ESL Graduate, Houston
“I drove two million miles without being able to read a highway sign.”
Jerome Tillman
Literacy Graduate, Memphis
“I built bridges in Syria. In America I couldn't fill out the form to prove it. Now I can.”
Fatima Al-Rashid
ESL Graduate, Minneapolis
“There's no expiration date on becoming who you were supposed to be.”
Brenda Hollis
GED Graduate at 58, Louisville
“My son used to translate everything for me. Last week I explained his teacher's email to him.”
Linh Nguyen
ESL Graduate, Houston
“I drove two million miles without being able to read a highway sign.”
Jerome Tillman
Literacy Graduate, Memphis
“I built bridges in Syria. In America I couldn't fill out the form to prove it. Now I can.”
Fatima Al-Rashid
ESL Graduate, Minneapolis
“There's no expiration date on becoming who you were supposed to be.”
Brenda Hollis
GED Graduate at 58, Louisville
Results that are
impossible to ignore.
Diplomas & Certificates Earned
Since 2011
Average Time to Completion
From first class to credential
Now Read to Their Children
Self-reported 6 months post-graduation
Average Wage Increase
Compared to pre-enrollment earnings
Adult Literacy
For adults reading below a 6th-grade level. Small groups, trained tutors, zero judgment.
🕐 Mon & Wed evenings · Sat mornings
GED Preparation
Structured curriculum covering all 4 GED subjects. Practice tests every 6 weeks.
🕐 Tue & Thu evenings · Sat mornings
ESL / English
Conversational and written English for everyday life — work, school, healthcare.
🕐 Mon–Fri mornings · Weekend sessions
Find your starting point.
3 steps. 2 minutes. No commitment.
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