Danny's Story...

Danny moved to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic at the age of 18. Before moving to the U.S., his family ran a fruit business, working long hours, sometimes till 3am. Danny came here with his mom, two brothers and his step-father. When they first moved here, they didn’t realize how different everything was – the rules and the language. That, coupled with not having other friends or family to help navigate these cultural differences, made life challenging. Eventually, he found his way to Fond du Lac Literacy Services and was matched with his tutor, Mary. Danny says that Mary is very patient and a good teacher. She opened his world to so many more things. At first it was a struggle because they didn’t understand each other, but he knew that if he gave up, he’d be no better off. He stayed with it and now, in addition to the one-on-one tutoring with Mary, he also attends Moraine Park Technical College 2-3 days a week to learn English. He no longer needs an interpreter and can easily introduce himself, can manage job interviews and recently started a new job! He’s made English speaking friends and can now even watch TV shows and go to movies that are spoken in English. Danny's goal for the future is to become a bartender. He is also interested in Marketing and does a great job supporting and getting the word out about Fond du Lac Literacy Services.