A California ex-convict has become an internet sensation and motivational speaker for sharing his journey of overcoming illiteracy after a rough past.
Oliver James, 35, grew up in a low-income Pennsylvania neighborhood and graduated high school without ever knowing how to read, he told the Washington Post.
“No one ever told me there was a reason to take school seriously,” he explained. “It was just a place I had to be.”
This was an excellent story to read, and it sounds like, by sheer determination, he has turned his life around. Good for him!