Domenico arrived in the United States from Italy in 2002 at the age of 71. He could not speak or understanding any English and was entirely dependent on his English-speaking wife to navigate him through his new culture. Domenico even needed his wife to drive him everywhere.

As a former pilot, it was discouraging for him to have to have someone drive him wherever he needed to go. In just a few years of participation in the YWCA Adult Literacy program in Pekin, Domenico received a driver’s license, learned to read food labels and grocery advertisements and purchased a house. He learned how to use a computer in six short months, and enjoys emailing his children and grandchildren in Italy and researching his hobbies on the Internet.

Domenico has also mastered a web camera so he can visit with family and friends in Italy. Domenico’s next goal is to become a U.S. citizen. To show how much he values his tutor and the literacy program, Domenico wears a suit and tie to each session, and begins and ends every session profusely thanking his tutor and the staff, bowing and shaking hands all around.