Wisconsin Literacy

Jolma's Story

In my country, I taught Tibetan literature and politics to middle school students for two years. Then I worked as an accountant at a tax office for seven years. I left Tibet in 1999 and continued my English studies at Cambridge, England. Before my departure for England, a British couple kindly taught me English for nearly one year, but my English skills were still basic. Very few people are trilingual speakers of Tibetan, Chinese, and English where I am from. My goal was to improve my English skills and return to my homeland to contribute to the community.

In 2000, I flew from England to visit my uncle and cousins in Madison. Because of the large Tibetan community and lower expenses in Madison, I decided to continue my college studies here. My uncle and cousins also knew very little English. We had difficulty understanding phone calls from English speakers. A friend told me about Literacy Network, so I went there to seek a tutor. Two months later, I met my tutor, Martin.

For almost five years, Martin tutored and helped me tremendously in many areas, including reading comprehension, building vocabulary, teaching grammar, and helping with my English homework from classes. He also taught me about the culture. For example, what to expect at a grocery counter, what to bring to a party in this culture, and much more, as things are different in every society. Without Martin's help, I can’t imagine how difficult it would have been to complete my studies successfully at Madison Area Technical College (MATC). Now, Martin says, "Jolma, you're a fully functional person in this society," and I agree with him.

I currently work as a Web Designer/Graphic Artist at MyWeather, LLC, a leading supplier of private-brand weather data, services and applications. I recommended Literacy Network to dozens of people. In my ESL classes, I saw many people who were struggling with English, and I suggested the literacy program to them. I knew they would get help from there. I would tell people who have problems with literacy to work with a tutor, stay focused on your goal, and don't lose hope - you will be successful.

~April 2007