Literacy Timeline

Stop 1: August 6,1998

My birth. Ive made this my first stop on my literacy timeline because I believe it dictates
certain advantages/disadvantages in a persons literacy starting point. As for me, I was born to
two college educated, happily married, third generation American parents in an upper middle
class neighborhood. I was born in a state of the art hospital with excellent medical care and
sanitary conditions. I was loved and well nourished from the very beginning. In my opinion, this
set the tone for shaping my foundation of literacy.
Stop 2: August 2003
Elementary School. Ive made this my second stop because of the impact of one of my
literacy sponsors. My kindergarten teacher. She was my first real exposure to an adult who I felt
had the power and knowledge outside of my home environment. Of course this is all hindsight,
because I dont think I realized it at the time, but I remember hanging on to her every word and
even realizing that if the teacher said it, it must be true, no matter what my parents thought. In
other words, it was my first experience where I was influenced by another persons opinion and
taught to start to form my own opinions.
Stop 3: August 2009-June 2012
Middle School. My first experience with diversity. I believe this stop had a profound
impact on developing myself from both a personal growth standpoint and a literacy expansion
viewpoint. It was the first time I learned to think outside the box I existed in until this point. My
sheltered life suddenly became much more broad and interesting. My middle school had a
significant black and hispanic population. I was a minority for the first time in my life. It was eye
opening. I learned about other family dynamics, other cultural practices, other foods and even
other social acceptable behaviors. My exposure to diversity expanded my viewpoint of the world
and was reflected in my writing and who I was as a person.
Stop 4: September 2008
Miracle League. Community volunteer. Ive included this stop on my literacy
development because it exposed me to a part of my community that I never gave any thought to
in my self absorbed bubble of my preteen years. The mentally/physically handicapped
population. I volunteered to play softball with kids with disabilities ranging from non verbal
autism to downs syndrome to wheelchair bound kids with paralysis. I loved every minute of it. I
learned compassion, determination and appreciation from these kids. They were unknowing
sponsors to my literacy development that profoundly impacted my perspective on life, on my
perceived problems and my relationships. I will be forever grateful.

Stop 5: August 2009

Literacy Timeline
Violin. Ahh the power of music. A way to communicate without the need for words. A
melodic interpretation of feeling. Such a powerful stop on my journey to self awareness. It
opened up a whole new world to me. Learning to read and interpret music is part of my history
of developing literacies that is very important to me. Music is universal. It transcends gender,
race and religion. It has impacted my ability to focus, concentrate and be in the moment. It has
broadened my sense of community and my desire to coordinate with others to achieve a common
goal.
Stop 6: January 2010
SCUBA. Self Contained Underwater Breathing Aparatus. The underwater world. At the
age of 13, I became a certified rescue diver. Besides learning the skills, equipment and
techniques necessary to survive under water, I learned how to save a diver in distress. It was my
first time being responsible for another life. I greatly expanded my knowledge of human
behavior and my ability to be self-reliant. My dive master quickly became an important sponsor
in my literacy development. He was knowledgeable, intriguing and confident. I thrived in this
environment. Learning about the interactions within the underwater community vastly expanded
my knowledge of marine life, and helped me to see a correlation between my world and the
marine world. Like communication through body language and the appearance of threats versus
peace and submission.
Stop 7: August 2013
High School. Ive included this stop on my timeline for two reasons. The first reason is
that I believe I had the most growth both physically and mentally during this time. The second
reason is that this stop is when I became more of an individual and less the part of any specific
group. High school was a period of transition. A period where I became less worried about what
others thought and more concerned with forming my own opinions. I wasnt more self centered,
just more self assured. My teachers questions became thought provoking rather than statements.
I dont have one particular teacher that acted as a sponsor to my literacy history, but their
combined effort did help shape me into who I am today. I learned that people cheat, lie and steal.
And that too shaped my thoughts and beliefs. But I also learned to assess relationships, meet
goals and find what interests me.
Stop 8: October 2013
My first job. Something I dreaded and yet desired. Commitment. Responsibility. Money!
I started my first job as hostess at a pizza restaurant. It was my first exposure to communicating
with people on a professional level. The first time I had to act happy even when I wasnt. Why
was this important? Because it taught me interpersonal skills that I hadnt been exposed to yet.
So many personalities. So many opinions. I needed to learn to get along with everyone and
contribute to a successful working environment. Also, working helped me learn the value of
money. Quite honestly it was the first time I thought twice before making a purchase. I mean I

Literacy Timeline
have always been fairly frugal, but now that I realized how many hours I would have to work to
afford something, that something had a whole new value to me! Besides money and interpersonal
skills, I gained knowledge about running a business and about food preparation and presentation.
The development of my history of literacy through adaptation as described by Scribner.
Stop 9: August 2014
Volleyball. Another community. Another learning experience. Another literacy sponsor.
My volleyball coach. A very significant adult influence for me. Expectation were high on and off
the court. I was challenged physically and mentally to be the best I could be. I was taught to face
defeat and victory with humility and pride. I learned the value of hard work and the significance
of trust and being confident under pressure. So many life skills from such an unlikely source. I
expected fun, exercise and a place to decompress but I never expected to gain skills that go far
beyond the court. While I gained literacies associated with being successful in the volleyball
community, this stop on my timeline had the biggest impact on my sense of self worth, self
acceptance and self motivation.
Stop 10: March 2014
Costa Rica. A class mission trip to a small, poor village in the heart of Costa Rica.
Another culture, another language, another currency and another view of the world. With every
stop on my literacy timeline I find myself becoming more aware of the impact these random
events had on my life. This one in particular. I interacted with people who had seemingly nothing
in common with me until I realized we all have the same basic needs. I learned how unimportant
materialistic things are to living happily. I gained perspective and appreciation for things I
normally take for granted, like running water and a roof over my head. I expanded my spanish
vocabulary and my culinary preferences. In the short time I was there I learned the value of
assimilating while maintaining my own sense of self. I was open to new ideas and shared my
opinions and beliefs.
Stop 11: August 2016
College. A higher education. Exposure to diversity, challenges and new experiences.
Learning how to manage my time, my finances and my laundry. A time to take all Ive learned in
my life from the time I was born, apply it, expand it and continue to grow from it. A time to
assess what is important to me. A literacy crossroads. A time to embark on a journey that will
determine the next several stops on my timeline. And therein lies the significance of this stop.
The influence of my professors, fellow classmates, club leaders, and community will continue to
shape my perspective and my literacy.