Literacy autobiography

 Hey everyone! 

My name is Gellian. I came to the United States at the age of six and I am Dominican. I am a biology major and will be the first to graduate from college in my family. My dream is to be a future veterinarian. I have always loved animals. I have four pets, two dogs and two cats who keep me busy and make me happy every day. I enjoy playing and watching soccer outside of school and my job and I also like to listen to music. 

In the Dominican Republic, I  learned literacy at home. My first language is Spanish which I learned from my family . I still remember looking through picture books that my mom would show me. Literacy became more difficult when I was six years old and moved to the United States.  I also found out I had dyslexia. I took longer than other kids to read and write, and I felt embarrassed and frustrated when I couldn't keep up in class. But I was lucky to have a supportive family and teachers. My teachers gave me additional support to help me practice and my mom reminded me that being bilingual was a good thing. My progress was made harder by dyslexia but it also pushed me. It motivated me to put in more effort and keep going. I now see myself as someone who learns differently but I am still capable of accomplishing my goals. 

I loved reading mystery books especially because I was always trying to figure out what would happen next. Also When i was a kid i always brought home books about animals. But Percy Jackson was a series that I loved since it made reading an experience. I felt a connection to Percy since he had dyslexia. I felt more confident in my own skills and less alone after seeing a hero facing the same obstacle. I had a period when I didn't want to read at all even though I liked great books like mysteries, animal stories, and the Percy Jackson series. I frequently felt that I was falling behind my classmates because of my dyslexia. I took longer to read and sometimes stumbled over words when reading aloud. I was discouraged and disappointed by that. I avoided books at times, not because I didn't enjoy stories, just because I didn't want to be reminded of how difficult reading was. I eventually learned to overcome my feelings with the support of my family and teachers. I realized that it was okay to continue at my own speed

My literacy makes me feel proud today. I used to feel that my dyslexia was an obstacle to literacy but now I see it as a strength. I've learned to be strong, patient, and creative from it. I still use literacy on a daily basis in both my academic and personal lives. I read lab instructions, research articles, and textbooks as a biology major. To put together what I'm thinking I write notes. Writing in a notebook, talking with family and friends, and even reading about how to take better care of my pets are all examples of literacy outside of the classroom that I do. Many people continue to motivate me and help me in my reading. My family continues to be my greatest motivation because they inspire me to pursue my goals and remind me of the importance of education. 

DASH

BECKHAM

LEO AND AKIRA