A Turning Point in My Life
not have the privileges to go to school and learn how to
speak another language so I can get a good job and maybe
go to college. Everything we do is important and we must
not surrender. Never say I cannot do something, no matter
what the obstacles in the way might be. I have to remember
that I came here for a purpose of something better. And I
have to be strong. Everything is different here and so am I.
Julilana Sica is from Guatemala. She is a student in the ESOL Level 5
class at Dunbar Community School. Her teacher is Mrs. Judy Peck.
Fisher and Me
I found a book entitled “Finding Fisher” by Antwon
Fisher to be an inspiring story about a little black boy who
is looking for love and cannot find it until he grows up as a
man. Fisher tells about his life on the streets as a young boy
and his feelings of emotional abandonment and physical
abuse. I can say this is part of my life story. I grew up in
foster care and group home, not knowing whose home I
would end up in. This book created a lot of emotional
feelings in me. I remember at the age of 12 I ran away from
home and tried to find the love that I was not getting at
home from my mother. I didn’t know who my real father
was. My stepfather was the meanest person and I could not
live with him; just seeing him fight with my mother and us
made me sad. When I say “us”, there were 10 children and
I am number 3.
At the age of 12, I stood alone still looking for love, but
found myself hating everything and everyone. I have never
stopped looking for love. Finally, I found love at the age of
- That’s when I had my son Arthur. For once in my life,
I found love because I had someone to love and care for.
My son and I grew up together. I taught my son at a young
age what love is and kept loving him. Fisher and I no
longer stand alone, but we moved on to better days and
never gave up on our dream. We can say, “Thank God for
life.”
Frances Taylor is a student at the Adult Learning Center.