From struggling to read a sentence to earning his GED, Jacob’s journey is a powerful story of perseverance, growth, and self-belief.

For most of his life, Jacob carried the weight of what he missed out on. Bullied as a child, he avoided school and convinced his parents not to make him go. “Even when I was in school, I wasn’t really IN school,” he says. “I always wanted to leave because of bullies.” Without the education and support he needed, Jacob fell into addiction and learned to rely on others for his basic needs. It wasn’t until years later, when he couldn’t even send a text message to someone he cared about, that he realized just how much his inability to read and write was holding him back. “I couldn’t put my thoughts into words,” he remembers.

“I was confident- until I saw the words. I didn’t know anything. Prefixes, verbs, consonants... I started crying. I needed help.”
-Jacob, Student

The turning point came during his first GED class at a local community college, when he was asked to read aloud. “I was confident- until I saw the words. I didn’t know anything. Prefixes, verbs, consonants... I started crying. I needed help.” That moment led him to the Permian Basin Adult Literacy Center, where he began working with his tutor Carrine. “She’s been more patient than any teacher I’ve ever had,” Jacob says. Over five years of tutoring, he’s gone from reading at a second-grade level to nearly a ninth-grade level.

“I started reading, and I was like, what? I can read this? It was the craziest feeling I ever had.”
-Jacob Student

Recently, Jacob achieved a major milestone: he passed his GED. “Dude, I felt like I was dreaming,” he says. His highest score? Reading- once his greatest struggle. That moment, and many others, have changed how Jacob sees himself. He still recalls the feeling of surprise and pride when he volunteered to read during a recent Bible study. “Something was telling me, just go for it. Just do it,” he says. “I started reading, and I was like, what? I can read this?” Inside, he was overwhelmed. “It was the craziest feeling I ever had.”

The process wasn’t always easy. “At first, I was really motivated, and then it got more difficult,” he says. “But it does get easier if you keep doing what they’re asking you to do.” Even when motivation waned, Jacob kept coming back. “The biggest challenge has been myself,” he admits. “But I kept pushing forward. That’s a lot of hope, a lot of dignity- things I didn’t know I had.”

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Today, Jacob is not only a GED graduate- he’s a college student, working hard to continue improving his reading and writing while exploring what comes next. Though he’s still figuring out his future path, the possibilities are growing every day. He’s found success and confidence in his restaurant job as a server, where his reading and writing skills have helped him with accurately taking orders. “I didn’t realize how good I was at it until this year,” he says proudly. He’s texting, reading more fluently, and beginning to enjoy writing. “I want to write on a piece of paper without needing to look up a word or ask someone for help. I’m getting there.”

For Jacob, the journey isn’t over- but it’s already transformed him. His mindset has shifted, his confidence is growing, and he sees new possibilities ahead. “My mind is open to different situations, different scenarios,” he reflects. “I’ve grown.” His advice for others struggling as he once did is simple and powerful: “Don’t let yourself get the best of you. Even if it’s just three days, or six months, keep going. That’s progress. You’re capable of more than you think.”

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