Transformative College Literacy of Literate Black Women Peer Counselors

In 1997, Robin Wisniewski created a peer counseling program that provided literacy support for college students with disabilities, from low income backgrounds, and in the first generation in their family to attend college. Peer counselors would assist between 80 and 100 students per semester with implementing new strategies for studying, textbook reading, note taking, test anxiety, stress, career exploration, and many others. The way the peer counselors taught and their way of thinking completely transformed Wisniewski.

The story focuses on two African American females Lauryn and Vania. These two young ladies were from very different backgrounds. Lauryn grew up in a more urban setting where she went to a high school with a 99.9 percent African American population whereas Vania went to a predominately white school where the only black kids there were most likely one of her family members. When asked how they felt about being part of the peer counseling program, Lauryn said “The Peer Counseling Program is more like the culture of a family setting in high school. There’s no separation. There’s not anybody that I don’t get along with…” (Wisniewski 75). Vania replied with a description of the characteristics of the peer counselors stating that “the people who come to this program are all open-minded, people who probably generally get along with a lot of people anyway, who probably care about people or who have those types of supportive personalities.” (Wisniewski 75). Everyone who was a part of this group was aiming toward a common goal. To make people aware that literacy means much more than knowing how to read.

I really enjoyed this reading because it gave two different perspectives of two different African American females. Both grew up in different backgrounds, yet they were able to come together and share their experiences growing up to younger college students. Despite the two of them being stereotypes and generalized because of their race, they still were able to look past that and continue on to what they wished to achieve by being a part of this wonderful organization.