Lupe Wright

More than 80 years ago a little girl started school in Texas. To say that she was frightened is putting it mildly. She didn't speak or write English, and she came from a home where her parents and her grandparents spoke only Spanish. Today, even though that little girl, Lupe Wright, is 89 years of age and a mother of three, with 14 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild, she has never forgotten how hard it is to learn in a language that you don't understand. “I had to do it myself, and it was very hard,” she said. Consequently, Wright has made helping others to read and write English a priority in her life so that other people will not have to struggle the way she did. When she was growing up, most of the parents did not go to college or even attend high school so they were severely limited as to the types of jobs they could perform. By helping her pupils to learn English, she feels that she is helping them to get a chance at a better job, and to improve the quality of their lives.

Wright, a resident of Bartlett, IL, has been a volunteer tutor with the Literacy Connection, an affiliate of Literacy Volunteers of America since 1995. The organization trains volunteer tutors to work one-on-one with native born adults who do not read, or non-native English speakers who wish to learn the language. She meets one-on-one with each of her adult students at the Bartlett Library. Testing is done to determine the length of time she spends with each one, but usually lasts several months.

Currently, Wright is working with a young woman of Mexican descent who is married with two children. She is very proud of the progress made by this young mother who has only been in this country for a short time. “She works very hard, and it makes me feel good to be able to help her,” Wright said. “Currently, she works on an assembly line in a factory, but her goal is to learn English so that she can obtain a better job. Her husband works two jobs, and he is also very proud of his wife.” Wright has many other unusual success stories, including working with a young woman in her 20s that she tutored so that she could become an American citizen.

In addition Wright is employed part time, one or two days a week, as a bilingual substitute teacher in nine different schools in District 46 in Bartlett and Elgin. Previously, she worked with older students, but currently she enjoys teaching English as a second language for Spanish speaking, preschool through third grade children.

Wright was employed with Chase Bank (Bank One) in customer service for twelve years, and prior to that she worked in the export department at Nystrom Publishers. She and her husband, Raymond, were married for 52 years before he passed away recently. Her husband and family has always been the most important thing in her life, and Wright is especially proud of her two sons Raymond and Ronald, and her daughter, Rosemary (Timothy) Wester. She enjoys her ceramic class at the senior center, and she and her family travel every year on cruises or to explore points of interest all over Europe.

The Literacy Connection is a non-profit, community –based organization helping individuals acquire fundamental literacy skills, and volunteers provide tutoring services free of charged. The Connection was organized in 1983, and since that time, hundreds of volunteers have provided many hours of time to serve thousands of students in the 15 communities they serve. Programs they sponsor include: Basic Reading, English as a Second Language, Small Group ESL, and The Family Literacy Program. A Summer Youth Tutoring Program and a Workplace Literacy Program is also available. Additional information can be obtained by contacting The Literacy Connection, 270 North Grove Avenue, Elgin, IL 60120, phone: 847-742-6565.

Prospective volunteers of all ages are encouraged to contact The Volunteer Center of Northwest Chicago, 847-228-1320; or the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program ( adults 55 years of age or better) 847-228-1006. Check their website www.volunteerinfo.com for more information on the hundreds of interesting assignments that are available.

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