Opening the Door to Adult Literacy: An interview with Marty Calanche

Marty Calanche has struggled with reading since he was a child. He has always been able to learn skills on the job, and in the 1980s he worked with the flight safety parts for the Apache helicopter. Marty was laid off in 1992, and he moved to Tucson, Arizona, in hopes of working for Raytheon. But despite having a letter of recommendation, Marty was told that he would need his GED to apply for a position. He came to Literacy Connects in 2010 and has since participated as a student, student ambassador, member of the advocacy committee, and board member. Marty is still working towards earning his GED. In 2013, Marty was invited to be on the floor of the Arizona House of Representatives as the honored guest of his local representative. Since learning to read, Marty has also followed his dream of learning to play guitar.
As an ongoing student with Literacy Connects in Tucson, Marty looks forward to working with the ProLiteracy board of directors. He is honored to be part of ProLiteracy’s continued efforts to increase access to quality literacy services.
Read his personal story here: www.proliterac...