John Bertotti has experienced life in much the same way as other Americans. He has married, raised children and made a comfortable living while supporting his family. He did all the things that husbands, fathers and working men are supposed to do, but there was always one thing about him that set him apart from the rest: he had accomplished all of this without being able to read.

Growing up in Hoboken, New Jersey, John was forced to quit school at the age of 12 so that he could work and support his mother and brother. He had never been very interested in school and reading was always difficult for him. The longer he was out of school, the more he began to believe that "he just wasn't meant to be a reader." After working in a gas station for a number of years, John got a job at Jackson Metal Company working with scrap metal and eventually moved on to Best Foods Muellers Macaroni Company, where he worked as a welder. Since he could not read, friends helped him fill out applications.

When he started at Mueller's, John remembers that it was very difficult at first. He could not read instructions, so co-workers had to read them for him. After a few years, however, John had memorized all that he was supposed to know and had become very skilled in his work. "It took me a few years to commit everything to memory," John explained, "but from then on I was able to do my job well. It involved mainly numbers, and I've always been good with numbers." It may have been difficult at first, but being unable to read did not stop John from being know as "the best at what he did."

When John was seven years away from retirement, the Muellers Macaroni Company closed down. Until the age of 58 he had been successful in life even though he did not have the ability to read. John began to realize, however, that being an adult non-reader left few options. After one of his daughters made him aware of reading programs for adults, John discovered LVA. Two months later he was working with a tutor on the computer. What seemed like a very unfortunate situation turned out to be the turning point for John, as he began his fight for literacy.

In the past year and a half, because of his commitment to becoming literate, John has reached many goals that he had never even dreamed of before. When asked about his recent opportunity to read with his grandson in front of a group at his school, John stated "it was the best unexpected goal of my life." His main goal is to go back to work as a welder. "My job always made me feel confident. I love sheet metal, and I am a whiz with numbers."

Along with his continued progress in learning to read, John has been an asset to LVA and its work for literacy. He is involved in a student support group through which he encourages students who consider quitting to continue on the path toward literacy. Because of his involvement with the group, his work to raise money and his organization of events for the group, John was named Ambassador of The Year along with two other literacy students. In the future, he hopes to be able to represent students from his affiliate by attending LVA's national conference.

Above all, John would like to one day give back to the people at LVA what they have given to him. "The family that I have become a part of at LVA has helped me and supported me in ways that are almost inexplicable. My biggest goal is to be able to help other students by becoming a tutor myself. I still have a long way to go, but I feel that is the best way for me to show my gratitude for what these people have given me."

To Current Featured Student of the Month
To Featured Student Archives