Augie has been a welder for forty years. A problem at work exposed his reading disability and led him to seek help from a tutor.
“I did well in school in math and art,” says Augie. “But I always struggled with reading because of my reading disability.”
Augie now works with his tutor Chuck once a week. Chuck began tutoring after he retired after hearing about it from a colleague.
“I was looking for someway to help out,” says Chuck. “Literacy came to mind and I made a call.”
They work primarily on blueprint readings. It’s a collaborative learning experience because Chuck had no experience with the blueprints that are an essential part of Augie’s job.
“I’ve learned a lot about reading blueprints,” says Chuck. “Augie has taught me about some of the measurements.”
Outside of his day job, Augie has merged his welding skills and artistic background to make metal flowers. He made one for his wife and people loved it so much that he began a sideline business. Among those to benefit from Augie’s art is Chuck who has one of his coneflowers in his front yard.
“Augie’s art work is truly magnificent,” says Chuck. “I get comments on it all the time.”
Working together has benefited both Augie and Chuck. Chuck enjoys the opportunity to meet people he might not otherwise have met and to help people reach their goals.
“The teachers are really, really good,” says Augie. “They are very helpful. It makes me feel good.”
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