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The Tarrant County Adult Education and Literacy Consortium held its 5th Annual National Adult Education Honor Society Induction Ceremony on Thursday, May 21st at the Arlington City Council Chambers.
Abel Campos says that he never would have imagined in a million years that he would be a keynote speaker for the Tarrant County National Honors Society induction ceremony. Abel was nominated by the staff at the Arlington Public Library (APL). Having the courage to stand in front of others may come easy for some, but with what he has overcome, it is a major accomplishment. When Able was just seven, getting to school was a battle. He had to fight gang violence, drug activity and police harassment.
When he finally arrived at school, it was no easier. As he reflects, all through his school years, it was “different.” He says that in school, he wanted to be “under the radar” – he didn’t want to draw attention to himself because of his learning disorders of Dyslexia and ADHD. He would avoid anything regarding reading because he did not know how to pronounce the words, let alone spell them. In ninth grade, his teacher would intentionally not call on him, to avoid making him feel embarrassed. This became common practice.
Now, as a recent NHS inductee and HSE graduate, Abel feels immense gratitude towards the staff at APL, including the teachers, custodians, managers, and CSAs. Abel says that being in the program has allowed him the opportunity to be himself without judgment and to express himself freely. He says that his classroom “Explore”, in which he received his GED instruction, was a “safe space” to learn, as teachers actually would “stop what they were teaching” to make sure that no student was left behind.
Although Abel learned the vital skills that he needed to pass all of his GED exams, he now sees the overall value of the unlimited resources at APL. He says that his experience as a student as well as a patron has been life changing.
He now gets to live out a dream that he once thought was impossible.
Story provided by: Camilia Brooks, HSE Teacher, Arlington Public Library
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