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  • ABOUT
    • Our Mission
    • Our Team
    • Board of Directors
    • Sponsors & Partners
    • Latest News
    • Impact
  • PROGRAMS
    • Student Yearbook ’20-’21
    • Literacy Foundations
    • High School Equivalency Diploma (HSE)
    • English Language Learners (ELL)
      • Want to Learn English?
      • ¿Quieres aprender inglés?
      • အင်္ဂလိပ်စာလေ့လာချင်ပါသလား
      • Veux-tu apprendre l’anglais?
      • هل تريد تعلم اللغة الإنجليزية؟
      • Queres aprender inglês?
    • Certifications
      • Customer Service Certification
      • Paraprofessional Training and Certification
  • BOOKSTORE
    • Hours & Location
    • Shop Online
    • Donate Books
    • Shop Audiobooks
    • Shop Merch
    • Consignment
  • GET INVOLVED
    • Join Our Team
    • AmeriCorps
    • Volunteer
    • Ways to Give
    • Submit an Event
    • Newsletter
  • EVENT CALENDAR
  • CONTACT
    • Prospective Student Form
  • DONATE
February 6, 2019

Meet January’s IndyGo Student of the Month – Michelle!

Michelle-IndyGo-SOM cropped

For many of our students, choosing to come to Indy Reads is about much more than just learning how to read. Our students are often looking to find a better or more permanent job, increase their ability to read their own mail and pay their bills, or gain the skills to take their driver’s license test.

For Michelle, January’s IndyGo Student of the Month, choosing Indy Reads is about keeping her promises.  

Michelle grew up in Louisville, Ky., as a self-described “wild kid.” At the time, school was not an encouraging place for her. “They didn’t take time out to go over words with me,” she says. “They just passed me along to get me out of the classroom.”

After being passed along too many times, gaining reading skills didn’t seem feasible to Michelle until adulthood when she met her husband.

“He was a very encouraging man.”

Eventually, she and her husband moved from their native Louisville to Indianapolis, then to Las Vegas, then back to Indianapolis a few years ago. During this time, Michelle’s husband and son would read to her to help her understand everything from everyday words to new slang and colloquialisms. He never wanted anyone to take advantage of Michelle for not being able to read, and neither did she.

Michelle’s husband passed away a couple of years ago, and she knew then that she needed to continue learning how to read. “When my husband was alive, we always had a thing about me learning how to read,” she said. “So before he died I had promised him to go back to school and learn how to read.”

This promise to her late husband was the motivation to move forward with her education. “My husband would tell me, ‘You always learn until it is the time to go,’” Michele says. “‘Never stop learning.’”

Honoring her promise to her husband of 27 years inspires Michelle to gain those much-needed reading skills, and her son, siblings, and mother encourage her to achieve her goals. “Them encouraging me made me want to do it even more,” Michelle says.

Courtney Keating, Indy Reads Student Navigator and Instructor says, “Michelle is a joy to have in class. She is just one of those students that is always ready to tackle the work and is everyone’s friend. I don’t think there’s a person in class that hasn’t benefited from having Michelle in class. Seeing her progress through the material is motivating for not only her, but to the other students — and most definitely me.”

Michelle is proud of herself every week as she continues to become a better reader. She’s looking forward to further improving her skills, getting her high school equivalency (HSE), and eventually moving on to college courses!

Michelle’s story is a reminder to us at Indy Reads that no matter where you are in your life, never stop learning. And, to anyone considering enrolling with Indy Reads, she has a simple recommendation: “Go for it and you can’t lose.”


Indy Reads is proud to partner with IndyGo to support students in the Community Classrooms program. Watch for more student stories in each month’s newsletter, and catch Routes 19, 38, or 39 to visit Indy Reads at the Central Library, or Routes 11 or 21 to visit Indy Reads Books! All route and trip information is available at indygo.net.

 

2019 Indy Reads Indy Reads Writes IndyGo Student of the Month
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About

Our mission is to build the literacy, English language, and job readiness skills to empower adults and families to reach their full potential.
 

Upcoming Events

February

March 2023

April
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Events for February

27th

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Cindy’s Virtual English Language Learner Class

Sarika Agarwal
11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Sarika’s Virtual Pre-High School Equivalency Class

5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

David’s Virtual High School Equivalency Class

Events for February

28th

Sarika Agarwal
11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Sarika’s Virtual High School Equivalency Class

11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Anne’s High School Equivalency (HSE) Class at Indy Reads

Indy Reads
5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Paul’s Virtual English Language Learner Class

Events for March

1st

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Cindy’s Virtual English Language Learner Class

Sarika Agarwal
11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Sarika’s Virtual Pre-High School Equivalency Class

5:00 pm

Indy Reads Volunteer Info Session

Indy Reads
6:00 pm

Financial Literacy Series with Centier Bank

Indy Reads
Events for March

2nd

Sarika Agarwal
11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Sarika’s Virtual High School Equivalency Class

11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Anne’s High School Equivalency (HSE) Class at Indy Reads

Indy Reads
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Chess Club with Colin Hargreaves

Indy Reads
5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Paul’s Virtual English Language Learner Class

5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

David’s Virtual High School Equivalency Class

Events for March

3rd

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Cindy’s Virtual English Language Learner Class

1:00 pm

Four-Eyed Media on First Friday!

Indy Reads
Events for March

4th

2:00 pm

Lisa Hendrickson: Burning the Breeze

Indy Reads
Events for March

5th

2:00 pm

Queer + Trans Community Yoga with Indy Community Yoga

Indy Reads
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Events for March

6th

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Cindy’s Virtual English Language Learner Class

Sarika Agarwal
11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Sarika’s Virtual Pre-High School Equivalency Class

5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

David’s Virtual High School Equivalency Class

Events for March

7th

Sarika Agarwal
11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Sarika’s Virtual High School Equivalency Class

11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Anne’s High School Equivalency (HSE) Class at Indy Reads

Indy Reads
5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Paul’s Virtual English Language Learner Class

Events for March

8th

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Cindy’s Virtual English Language Learner Class

Sarika Agarwal
11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Sarika’s Virtual Pre-High School Equivalency Class

Events for March

9th

Sarika Agarwal
11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Sarika’s Virtual High School Equivalency Class

11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Anne’s High School Equivalency (HSE) Class at Indy Reads

Indy Reads
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Chess Club with Colin Hargreaves

Indy Reads
5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Paul’s Virtual English Language Learner Class

5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

David’s Virtual High School Equivalency Class

Events for March

10th

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Cindy’s Virtual English Language Learner Class

Events for March

11th

2:00 pm

Indy Reads Celebrates STEM with Nyla Nova

Indy Reads
Events for March

12th

2:00 pm

Queer + Trans Community Yoga with Indy Community Yoga

Indy Reads
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Events for March

13th

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Cindy’s Virtual English Language Learner Class

Sarika Agarwal
11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Sarika’s Virtual Pre-High School Equivalency Class

5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

David’s Virtual High School Equivalency Class

Events for March

14th

Sarika Agarwal
11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Sarika’s Virtual High School Equivalency Class

11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Anne’s High School Equivalency (HSE) Class at Indy Reads

Indy Reads
5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Paul’s Virtual English Language Learner Class

Events for March

15th

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Cindy’s Virtual English Language Learner Class

Sarika Agarwal
11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Sarika’s Virtual Pre-High School Equivalency Class

Events for March

16th

Sarika Agarwal
11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Sarika’s Virtual High School Equivalency Class

11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Anne’s High School Equivalency (HSE) Class at Indy Reads

Indy Reads
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Chess Club with Colin Hargreaves

Indy Reads
5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Paul’s Virtual English Language Learner Class

5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

David’s Virtual High School Equivalency Class

Events for March

17th

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Cindy’s Virtual English Language Learner Class

Events for March

18th

No Events
Events for March

19th

2:00 pm

Queer + Trans Community Yoga with Indy Community Yoga

Indy Reads
The cover of Embracing the Journey by Sarah Styf. A beach scene with a woman with auburn hair and a long blue shirt on looking out to sea.
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Sarah Styf: Embracing the Journey

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Events for March

20th

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Cindy’s Virtual English Language Learner Class

Sarika Agarwal
11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Sarika’s Virtual Pre-High School Equivalency Class

5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

David’s Virtual High School Equivalency Class

Events for March

21st

Sarika Agarwal
11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Sarika’s Virtual High School Equivalency Class

11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Anne’s High School Equivalency (HSE) Class at Indy Reads

Indy Reads
5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Paul’s Virtual English Language Learner Class

Events for March

22nd

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Cindy’s Virtual English Language Learner Class

Sarika Agarwal
11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Sarika’s Virtual Pre-High School Equivalency Class

Events for March

23rd

Sarika Agarwal
11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Sarika’s Virtual High School Equivalency Class

11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Anne’s High School Equivalency (HSE) Class at Indy Reads

Indy Reads
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Chess Club with Colin Hargreaves

Indy Reads
5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Paul’s Virtual English Language Learner Class

5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

David’s Virtual High School Equivalency Class

Events for March

24th

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Cindy’s Virtual English Language Learner Class

Events for March

25th

10:30 am

Drag Story Hour with Prince Brentlee

Indy Reads
12:00 pm

Monthly Indianapolis Riot Reads Book Club Meeting

Indy Reads
2:00 pm

Empire of Strings: Jeffrey Lee Book Signing

Indy Reads
Events for March

26th

2:00 pm

Queer + Trans Community Yoga with Indy Community Yoga

Indy Reads
27
28
29
30
31
1
2
Events for March

27th

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Cindy’s Virtual English Language Learner Class

Sarika Agarwal
11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Sarika’s Virtual Pre-High School Equivalency Class

5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

David’s Virtual High School Equivalency Class

Events for March

28th

Sarika Agarwal
11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Sarika’s Virtual High School Equivalency Class

11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Anne’s High School Equivalency (HSE) Class at Indy Reads

Indy Reads
5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Paul’s Virtual English Language Learner Class

Events for March

29th

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Cindy’s Virtual English Language Learner Class

Sarika Agarwal
11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Sarika’s Virtual Pre-High School Equivalency Class

5:00 pm

Indy Reads Volunteer Info Session

Indy Reads
7:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Step Into Your Power with Tamara Winfrey-Harris

Indy Reads
Events for March

30th

Sarika Agarwal
11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Sarika’s Virtual High School Equivalency Class

11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Anne’s High School Equivalency (HSE) Class at Indy Reads

Indy Reads
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Chess Club with Colin Hargreaves

Indy Reads
5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Paul’s Virtual English Language Learner Class

5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

David’s Virtual High School Equivalency Class

Events for March

31st

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Cindy’s Virtual English Language Learner Class

Events for April

1st

7:00 pm

Celebrate National Poetry Month with Jacob Sunderlin and Michael Robins

Indy Reads
Events for April

2nd

2:00 pm

Queer + Trans Community Yoga with Indy Community Yoga

Indy Reads
2:00 pm

Gal’s Guide Anthology: Journey – Book Tour

Indy Reads

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