Aaron Colbert, an 18-year old learner at Living Wages,  was a semi-finalist at the 2007 Women’s History Essay Contest.  A reception and reading was held on Tuesday, April 17 at the True Reformer Building in Washington, DC.  Jointly sponsored by the Adult Literacy Resource Center and  D.C. LEARNs, this year's theme was “Hold Fast to Dreams: Dreaming for Ourselves and Others.”   With the  role models of women such as Sojourner Truth and Mae Jemison, who instilled hope and courage through their dreams for themselves and others, students were asked to write about their own dreams and hopes for the future. Aaron’s essay, entitled “Dreams For Myself and Others,” is reprinted in the next screen by clicking on the above title.

Dreams For Myself and Others

Goals for me to set are to get my GED so my mom and dad can be proud.  I also want to have stuff as a man like to get my learner’s permit so I can explore the world.  I would like to have a great job someday so I can buy things for my house like nice software, carpet, and furniture.

If I were to have a family one day, I would enroll my children in school.  I would like for my kids to finish school so that they will be better than me.  So my children can do better than myself, I want them to graduate through college so they can be somebody.

One day I would like to get married to my queen so I can live happily ever after.  I want to sit back off retirement.

Dreams for others are to stop the madness and make a change like myself.  I used to be a drug dealer, but now enrolled in school and am studying to get my GED.  I want others to stop selling drugs to one another, go back to school and make some money the real way.  It’s never too late to go back to school I see that.  I believe that people can do anything that they put their minds to.  If people unite as one, the world will be a better place.  Our murder rate is terrible, it seems like every time you look at the news it’s something bad.  I think if the police would stay on the corners twenty-four-seven, it would be safe for us.  Why I want these dreams to come true is because I want a perfect life for me and my family.  I think police should be on full watch so our murder rate can drop all the way down.

Aaron Colbert

Living Wages

March 2007