Student Spotlight: Seth

My name is Seth, and I’m writing this to tell everyone about my time at The Literacy Alliance and what I plan to do now that I have my high school equivalency (HSE) diploma.

It all started when my sibling, Isa, got their HSE through The Literacy Alliance a few years ago. At first, I was glad for them the moment they achieved their goal; but something about them obtaining their HSE made me consider whether I should get one as well. Since I was born with autism—childhood disintegrative disorder, to be more specific—I was a little hesitant because of my limits. However, someone told me a long time ago that I should get out of my comfort zone and not let my limits stop me from achieving my goals. I thought about it for a while, decided to take that advice, and joined The Literacy Alliance about a year ago to obtain my GED.

When I first started, I was immediately met with a lot of kind people, like the other students, teachers, volunteers, and the amazing site coordinator, Cathie. Their kindness helped put me at ease and reinforced my decision and belief to get my HSE. During this time, I was dealing with some appointments that interfered with both my work and my timely arrival to class, but I didn’t let that stop me from achieving my goal. True, there were times when I felt down, less motivated, and overwhelmed by the pressure of daily life, which hindered my ability to stay on track with my goals. But the friends I made both in and out of The Literacy Alliance kept me grounded and levelheaded for the rest of my time within the program.

After spending roughly a year with The Literacy Alliance, I accomplished my goal of obtaining my HSE and managed to improve myself in the process. I even improved my skills to the point where I can now use them in my future endeavors to accomplish even more goals. Now that I have accomplished my goal, I already have a few plans to work on over the next couple of years: I want to become the author I’ve always wanted to be, go to college to improve myself even more, inspire others with my work, and achieve even more goals I have set for myself.

With all that said, I would like to thank my family, friends, and The Literacy Alliance for believing in me. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be where I am right now. I also want to encourage those who are mentally disabled, like me, to attend The Literacy Alliance to improve themselves by getting their HSE and becoming much more than they are now. Not only that, but it made me realize that those with mental disabilities can accomplish great things since they can do anything they’ve always wanted to do if they put their minds to it.