hello everyone i'm Aziel Velasquez i am a marketing major and this is my senior year at NJCU. A few of my interests include reading, spending time with my friends, and going out on long drives as the sun sets. I am the oldest of three, so occasionally, I like to go out with my friends to relieve some stress. I enjoy going to parties and lots of concerts. My favorite show that I attended this summer has to be Drake. It was an unforgettable experience, and the fact that I got to live it out with my best friend is even better. In the future, I plan to live in the city when I am older because I've lived in a small town with little to do. I've always found the city interesting because it allows you to see the different perspectives of many other people. I took this class because I'm interested in learning more about the education system since it is a big part of everyday life and will ultimately shape my future and my siblings' future. 

    Becoming literate was something I couldn't describe because, at the time, I did not know what I was becoming. To elaborate, I was brought to the U.S. at the age of 4 without knowledge that my native language was not a language that was spoken in this new foreign land. Unfortunately, I could not rely on my parents to help me because they did not know how to read English. My biggest supporter was Mrs. Martini, a woman in her mid-40s with short grey hair and big glasses that took up almost all of her face. Every day in class, I would be pulled out to go and see her. She had a small office with colorful decorations that made me feel safe. I am trying to remember What books we read, but I do remember her pointing to words and making me repeat them. Sometimes, I remember feeling upset because I wouldn't get it immediately. And I wouldn't even want to try. I knew, or at least now, that my mom felt helpless and did not know how to help me. 

    Going into first grade, I remember being able to complete a compound word project. I could put the words butter and fly together and felt accomplished. First grade was also where I remember getting into books. My entire class would sit on the floor and listen to our teacher read different books. During that time, I was still getting pulled out of class, and nothing hurt me more than getting pulled out of class during reading time. I truly knew that I loved books in the third grade. Our class was reading "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick. It was an off-story, but I enjoyed it, and every time we would have to close the book, I would feel eager to know what would happen next. I didn't have a role model at that time, but I had this friend who always was reading. Something and I always thought it was pretty impressive. 

    Literacy plays a massive part in my life. Books have always felt like an escape from reality, and they tend to make me forget about the present and indulge in a brand-new world. Being in school has made me a stronger reader and challenged me with readings that I sometimes do not find absorbing at all. My current inspiration to continue my literacy journey is my brother and sister. They are just starting their journey, and i want them to be able to have someone whom they can look up to something that growing up i didn't get to experience