These stories reflect the journeys of our students, who received their certificates on June 30, 2025.
Written by Thao Pham, LEAD Educator
Charlemagne Dorsey
Charlemagne was born in Burkina Faso, Africa. He had no formal educational background before moving to the United States at the age of 15. He has a passion for cross-country racing and enjoys taking his dog to the park every day. He loves nature—especially turtles, birds, and lakes—and is always a joy to be around. His positivity is unwavering; I’ve never seen him have a bad day.
He graduated from Carlsbad High School and completed the Adult Transition Program before enrolling in the Deaf Community Services Literacy Program. He has been attending the program for two years and two months and received his certificate of recognition.
Naira Barraza
Naira was born in Mexico and had no formal educational background. She was married to a U.S. citizen and has two children.
She struggled to find stable employment due to communication barriers and previously worked for Instacart, UPS, and Kohl’s.
She deserves recognition for completing the program. I remember when she had trouble turning on her computer. I couldn’t assist her in person at the time, so I sent her a DIY YouTube video. She managed to fix it on her own.
I was amazed by her ability to follow visual instructions. She has been attending the LEAD program for two years and three months and is now continuing her job search.
Patricia Lopez Torres
Patricia has graduated twice from the same literacy program. I remember when she first arrived—she had no writing or comprehension skills and couldn’t recognize words or sentences.
Now, she has made tremendous progress. She recognizes most words and uses an ASL dictionary and class materials to support her learning.
She loves giving and sharing—she even brings food for potlucks. She has a big, gentle heart and is one of the most hardworking students with learning challenges. Her math skills have improved the most so far.
About The Literacy Program
PURPOSE
The purpose of this literacy program is to educate and empower Deaf, DeafBlind, and DeafPlus individuals to become independent and effective communicators in daily life. Many students have struggled to find jobs and communicate in both Deaf and hearing communities, especially those who have moved from other countries. This program helps break down language barriers. I’ve heard many success stories from this program—several students have passed their written tests to obtain driver’s licenses and have become U.S. citizens after studying diligently with us.
HISTORY
Let me share a brief story about how this program was founded. Thanks to Tom Galey, former Executive Director in 2000, the program has now been running for 25 years! The first student had failed college placement tests multiple times before coming here for help. His VR counselor, Karen Gamble, collaborated with Tom Galey to establish the literacy program.
This program holds a rich history and countless memories.