Literacy Volunteers Students Earn Publication in Statewide Magazine

Four adult learners with Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area are celebrating a milestone that goes beyond improving their reading and writing skills: They are now published authors.

Seven stories written by Rufina Wea, Karen Ramos, Heidi Gao and Rocio Aguilar-Najera appear in the 2025 edition of Spotlight, a publication that gives adult learners an opportunity to share their poems, stories and personal writing with readers across Virginia.

From Left: Karen Ramos, LVWA student, Jennifer DeHaven, LVWA Executive Director, and Rocio Aguilar-Najera, LVWA student)

Heidi Gao, LVWA student

The achievement means every student who participated in Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area’s 2025 Creative Writing class had work published.

For Gao, the accomplishment is part of a much larger journey involving immigration, education, and finding the confidence to express herself.

“Literacy Volunteers didn’t just give me a second chance at education; they gave me a voice,” Gao said. “Through their unwavering support, I’ve learned that no matter where you come from, with the right guidance, anything is possible. They gave me a pen to write my own story.”

Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area, or LVWA, works with adults who need help with reading, writing, English, math, and basic computer skills. The organization also helps adults preparing for the GED and immigrants studying civic knowledge and preparing for citizenship and naturalization.

Its Creative Writing class gives adult learners a place to practice their English and writing skills while developing confidence and sharing their own experiences.

This year, the four students published stories on subjects ranging from immigration and family memories to silkworms and a beloved car.

Wea was published for her story, “A Journey To A New World.”

Ramos had two stories selected, “My Little Secret” and “Lighthouse Of The Pacific.” Gao’s published pieces are “My Favorite Insect – Silkworm” and “A Miracle Story.” Aguilar-Najera contributed “The Magic of December 31st” and “My Beloved Red Car.”

“Having your writing published is a big deal,” said Dave Stum, a longtime LVWA Creative Writing teacher. “It shows that our learners’ voices and stories matter. They all worked so hard. They deserve the acclaim.”

It is not the first time students from the Winchester-area organization have appeared in Spotlight. Four LVWA students also had their work published in the magazine’s 2022 edition.

For the organization, publication is more than recognition for a well-written story. It represents the work adult students put into mastering English and developing literacy skills they can use at home, at work, and throughout their communities.

Gao said returning to a classroom as an immigrant brought challenges but also opened new possibilities.

“When I immigrated, the language barrier and the fear of starting over felt like towering mountains, but LVWA’s dedicated volunteers, teachers, and classes gave me the tools to climb them,” she said.

“As an immigrant, stepping back into a classroom felt like unlocking a door to a brand new world,” Gao continued. “LVWA empowers thousands like me to rewrite our stories and let our voice shine!”

Literacy Has Effects Beyond the Classroom

The students’ accomplishments come as literacy organizations highlight the ongoing need for adult education.

LVWA cites figures indicating that one in five adult Virginians lacks the literacy skills needed to read material at the level of a typical news article. Nationally, the organization says nearly 60 million adults lack literacy skills above a fifth-grade level, while fewer than 1 million can enroll in literacy-focused programs.

The effects can reach far beyond reading a book or filling out a form.

Citing ProLiteracy, LVWA says low adult literacy costs the U.S. economy more than $300 billion through lost earnings, lower workforce productivity, increased crime and greater reliance on government assistance. The organization also cites estimates linking low literacy to $46 billion in lost business revenue and $215 billion in health care costs.

LVWA says research also shows that increasing an adult’s literacy skills by one level makes that person 50% less likely to live in poverty. According to figures provided by the organization, 47% of adult education students advance at least one literacy level following a year of continuous enrollment.

Those numbers help explain why LVWA describes adult literacy as a community issue rather than simply an educational one. Stronger literacy skills can help people communicate at work, understand health information, handle household responsibilities and take a more active role in community life.

The students’ publication comes during National Literacy Month in September and ahead of Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, observed Sept. 13-19.

LVWA says its goal is to help adults throughout the Northern Shenandoah Valley gain the functional literacy skills they need to participate more fully at home, at work and in society.

For the students in the Creative Writing class, however, that broad mission has produced something personal and tangible: stories carrying their own names and written in their own words.

Readers can find the students’ work in the 2025 edition of Spotlight at issuu.com/valrc/docs/spotlight_2025.

More information about Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area, including its programs and volunteer opportunities, is available at www.lvwa.org or by calling 540-536-1648.