Curtis Aikens

  • page 306

    Curtis is from Conyers, Georgia.
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    In third grade, he had a teacher conference.
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    Teacher said, he is a nice buy but he has a reading problem, and needs to repeat 3rd grade.
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    Curtis decided to lie about not being able to read or write so people would not call him "dumb" or "stupid".
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    He doesn't blame the school for not helping him but he is learning the skills to lie and not be questions.
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    "If you sound smart, people will think you are smart" he watched TV/videos to get vocabulary to keep "up the scam".
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    Heavy electives and light on academics for his schedule in high school.
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    Start football player, student council member and won a cooking competition.
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    He got a scholarship for college. His whole family was happy. He was scared because he had to lie for 4 more years.
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    Halfway through sophomore year he dropped out of college.
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    He moved to California.
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    Got a job at a grocery store but he got in trouble with his boss because he can't read.
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    He wanted to open his own produce company (fruit/ vegetable)
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    Curtis didn't know he had to lower his prices and he lost austomers and his business fell
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    He would give blank checks to compares because he could not read the involces.
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    Curtis was traveling and could not read road sign or airport signs.
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    Curtis was a PSA for a program that helps people read with no judgement
  • Page 313

    He took literacy classes with Steve and Ginny. He felt happy to be honest about his problem
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    He does really well with the literacy program and can how read a book a week.
  • Page 314

    He goes back to Georgia- Starts another produce company and eventually become a food columnist.
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    He decided to become a celebrity and use his platform to reach out to the literacy community
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    He called old friend and confessed his past and the friend called news shows to share his story.
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    Published his first cookbook.
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    Curtis messed up on TV reading a teleprompter and cried on national TV.
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    People called the TV show looking for help with reading because of Curtis.