John Douse

John is 62 and very proud of his age. He declares he can work twenty-four hours straight, and enjoys writing because, "It keeps the brain going." John is a student in the Toronto Public Library Adult Literacy Program (Downsview Branch).

Karen J. Esmail

Karen is a deaf and visually impaired mother of four. She works part-time as an American Sign Language (ASL)Technologist. She is a student in the Deafblind literacy class at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.

Garfield E. Francis

Garfield's literacy class has "done enormous things" for him, and he's now able to understand more words. Most importantly, he is able to express himself in writing. Garfield is currently writing his autobiography; as he remembers stories and moments from his past, he immediately writes them down so as not to forget them.

Marcia M. Friginette

A self-described "people-person", Marcia has studied at the Centre for Language Training and Assessment for over a year. She enjoys writing personal stories and says that, "Writing has the ability to change peoples' lives." Recently, Marcia borrowed a library book and became so engrossed that she could not put it down until she finished it at 5 a.m.!

Mina G.

Originally from Ghana, Mina is a student at the Toronto Public Library Adult Literacy Program (Downsview Branch).

Angela Hamilton

Angela came to Canada from Jamaica in 1983. She has fond memories of summers in the country with her grandmother, a strong and inspirational woman. A student at Literacy for East Toronto since October 2003, Angela likes to read mysteries and spiritual books. She's currently enjoying Rapid Ray: The Story of Ray Lewis.