National Adult Literacy Database

September 21, 2009

This week, we have a story written by Cindy Voudrach, from Inuvik, Northwest Territories. Cindy is a parent, a worker and a student.  In 2006, she won the Council of the Federation Literacy Award for the Northwest Territories. This award is presented in each province and territory, and recognizes outstanding achievement and excellence in literacy. Below, Cindy answered questions about herself posed to her by an interviewer.

Story

by Cindy Voudrach

Q: Hi Cindy, when did you leave school?

A: I was 17. I was in Grade 11 and I dropped out because I was pregnant.

Q: Was it hard going back to school?

A: It was kind of hard - financially it was hard but I pulled through. My main concern was when my oldest started school. She was in kindergarten and she was missing a fair amount of school because I wasn't able to get her to school as I had to watch my two younger children who weren't in school. So when she went to grade one that's when I decided to apply to school which was adult literacy - basic education.

Q: When you returned to school as an adult what grade did you have to start at?

A: I was in grade eleven but I didn't have the credits for the grade ten courses so what they did was they put me in the lower English and math levels.

Through ABE I completed three math courses in one year and two English courses and then the next year was able to get into UCAP - University College Access Program and that is a funded program so that really helped. It really motivated me to keep on - to continue.

Q: Well congratulations. No wonder they gave you the premier's adult literacy award. That was quite a accomplishment to learn so quickly.

A: I started at the lowest level at the learning centre and I went right up to departmental in two years.

Q: When do you have time to go to school working and having three children?

A: I'm taking management studies at the Aurora campus in Inuvik. It's a two year diploma program. Management studies in Inuvik are evening courses. It's hard being away from the kids especially evenings like getting them fed and homework done and getting them to bed.

[This story was taken with permission, from The Northern Edge, Issue 6 (2008) published by NWT Literacy Council. This online newspaper contains stories by learners, as well as articles about the North.]