Dion Rymer didn’t know how his family -- both locally and those still in the British Virgin Islands -- would react when they found out he enrolled in Common Heart’s
adult literacy program to improve his reading and writing skills. He describes
their reactions in two words: Very proud.
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Dion Rymer & Karen Leadermen
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The 38-year-old Indian Trail resident
moved with his wife and 16-year-old daughter to Indian Trail almost 2 years ago
after hurricanes devastated his native islands. He was working full-time to
support his family, but still had a dream: going to college to prepare for a
career in information technology.
A quick online search led him to a new free
program that he hoped could help: Common Heart Literacy Volunteers. Dion was the
first student to sign up. Now, almost a year later, he’s completed the program
and is enrolled at Central Piedmont Community College where he’s excited to take
the first steps toward the career he wants.
And thanks to a $5,000 grant from
the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, many more Union County adults will learn
to improve their reading and writing skills. This grant is part of more than
$8.6 million in grants awarded to more than 950 schools, nonprofits and
organizations across the communities Dollar General serves. Since its inception
in 1993, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded more than $182
million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 11 million
individuals take their first steps toward literacy or continued education.
“During these extraordinary times, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation
remains steadfast in its commitment to support communities’ literacy and
educational advancements through funds that will impact thousands of students
across the country,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s CEO and Dollar General
Literacy Foundation board member. “We are proud to support the meaningful and
impactful work that each of today’s recipients conduct and support their ongoing
efforts to help individuals improve their lives through literacy and education.”
Dion’s success story is a true highlight for the Literacy Volunteers program
which allowed Dion to set -- and then achieve -- reachable goals.
Of course, he
had plenty of help. It wasn’t until Dion first met with his volunteer tutor,
Karen Leadermen, that they realized they lived in the same Indian Trail
neighborhood and even used the same gym! That made for easy trips to tutoring
sessions, sometimes even meeting in the neighborhood clubhouse. The two have
become “good friends,” Dion said. Karen calls it a “magical match.”
Karen’s
first task, she said, was to get Dion to see that he could learn and learn well.
“In my approach, it was really important for me to take into consideration his
age, his family status, his diversity that he comes to the table with and his
goals as an individual,” Karen said. “Dion came with some insecurities about
where he wanted to be as an adult male to represent himself, his extended family
and the way he communicated. Some of the process was helping him develop some
assertiveness and the ability to explain his needs and desires. He really did
not have a cognitive understanding of his skills. I would tell him ‘Dion, you’re
blowing me away,’ and he would not believe me.”
There was always homework, but
Dion didn’t mind. He amazed himself with how quickly his skills improved. His
island accent sometimes caused a misinterpretation of a word and misspellings,
but that was something the duo worked through as well. They ended each session
reviewing what they had accomplished that day.
“We started with just the basics
as I was building self confidence,” Dion said. “Karen would say ‘don’t get
flustered, it’s just a process.’ She basically explained to me I have a lot of
raw talent, I just need someone to basically clean it up. She kept telling me
‘you’re smart, you’re smart, you’re smart.’ She just kept putting that energy in
me and after a while I started to feel that energy and see that energy. I
started to believe in myself.”
Karen’s encouragement was key to completing the
program, Dion said, and he’s glad to have found a friend to help navigate his
first college experience.
“When I have Karen there, I think I’ll make it
through,” he said. “She just always has the right words to say to keep me
going.”
Dion has some encouraging words for other Union County adults who want
to improve their English reading and writing skills.
“It’s never too late,” he
said. “You just have to take that first step. It’s going to be scary, but you
just have to do it.”
