George Sorg bluffed his way as far as he could and then hit a brick wall. He worked as a foreman, but after being turned down for several jobs because of his low reading level, he signed up with LVA in 1992.

Since then George's leadership qualities have been put to good use. He is the publications chair, conference reporter, and on the board of directors for his affiliate, LVA Orleans County, Inc., in Albion, NY. He was named Basic Literacy Student of the Year in 1997 and chosen to participate in the Sundin Institute at the national conference in 1998. Last year he was elected to the National Student Advisory Board, where he serves as the vice chair of the student track for this year's national conference.

He also keeps in touch with his local congressmen and senators, calling them often. "I make sure they know me," he said.

George became interested in computers and technology about a year ago, and recently served on the student section task force for the development of a new student section on the LVA website. His input and ideas directly affected the look and content of the section. A priority for George is advocating for a more user- and student-friendly chat room.

George's abilities weren't always so obvious. In school, he described himself as a quiet kid who didn't get into trouble. But no matter how he tried, he wasn't learning. "Nobody seemed to know why I was having trouble in school," he said. In his forties, George was diagnosed with dyslexia.

George definitely believes in giving back to the organization that helped him. In 1997 he worked to organize a New York State conference "to bring some of the national conference back to those who couldn't go," he said. He booked speakers, found insurance coverage, and scouted locations. he is working on developing more workshops for tutors and more student technology workshops for the national conference. "My family is LVA," he said.

When asked what he would say to someone who was thinking about getting help, he said, "You've found out you've got a problem and you (feel) ashamed. Once you face the problem then you can hold your head up. If you don't get help then you should be ashamed."

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