Donell McCoy, Literacy Volunteers of Atlanta

Watch Donell's story

As a child, Donell McCoy followed his father from military base to military base, moving every two years before the family settled in Toledo, Ohio. He also had hoped to follow his father's career path as a career soldier, as well. But that dream faded when McCoy quit high school before graduation, all because he couldn't read.

"I refused to walk across the (graduation) stage," he said. "I didn't know anything."

In grade school, McCoy suffered from seizures and was diagnosed with dyslexia. But his father refused to let teachers place Donell in remedial classes. Teachers continued to promote him, however, until he reached the eleventh grade. There, having had enough, McCoy quit school, and got an excellent job making $1,000 a week - right out of high school!

Still, McCoy was helpless: "When you can't read, it's like being blind ... you got to depend on someone to help you cross the street ... you can't do that (depend on someone) because everybody is not good." He found that out the hard way. McCoy paid his best friend $200 a week to handle all his business - read his mail, pay his bills, even write letters for him. McCoy became so dependent on his friend, he took the man everywhere, even on vacations. When the friend was killed several years later, McCoy knew he had to address his reading problem.

In Atlanta, McCoy found the Literacy Volunteers program, and got involved. They matched him up with "an angel for a tutor" who has become McCoy's best friend. Several years after he started as a non-reader, McCoy now reads at the third grade level and describes himself as "still striving!" His independence has given him the confidence to read his mail, write letters, and pay his own bills. "It felt like I was born again, really! It's a relief!"