Pat stopped going to high school when she got pregnant her senior year of high school. Soon after giving birth she started working at a meatpacking plant and saw no use in returning to school to graduate.
Years later, the same meatpacking plant that kept her out of school shut its doors. “I started looking for jobs but they all needed a GED.” Her only choice was to go back to school. She now devotes her time to preparing for the GED test that she plans on taking this summer.
“When I get my GED people will see me different for sure. Without that piece of paper, I was at a stand still. Once I get my GED, I’ll be on top of the world.”
Prendergast writes, "How people experience literacy development becomes bound up with how they perceive their own identity, and the identity of others" (Prendergast 10).
Although Pat now sees the value of literacy in her life, when she was younger she didn't see the point of education. There wasn't someone in her community to push her to quit working to go back to school. Making money was of utmost importance. Thus, literacy acquisition for Pat was tied to her perceived identity within her community and its values. In her community, it was more valuable to make money right away than to postpone the paycheck and return to school. Furthermore, in her community, there wasn't someone who could support Pat and her newborn child while she finished school. As a member of her community, she had little choice but to quit school to work at the meatpacking plant. This choice made the most sense to her life in her community.
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