Dear Reader,

The State Collaborative Literacy Council of California is pleased to share with you this publication, In My Own Words: The Personal Stories of California's Outstanding Adult Learners of 1996.

In these pages you will find the true, heartwarming stories of ten outstanding California men and women who exemplify the thousands of adults who work daily in literacy programs throughout the state to expand and enhance their futures through literacy education. These are adults who seek to change their lives and the lives of those around them through their personal commitment to the improvement of their own basic literacy skills and to lifelong learning.

It is not easy to be an adult with limited literacy in a society that expects, even demands, a high level of literacy. Many of this year's learners overcame tremendous personal and family hardships to participate in adult basic education and literacy programs. With only their own perseverance and determination and the help of dedicated adult education teachers and literacy volunteer tutors, they were able to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds in order to achieve their personal and educational goals.

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