Peggy Flynn

Peggy Flynn feels fortunate to have grown up in a family where both her parents valued the importance of volunteering in the community. She was one of seven children, and now looking back as a mother herself, realizes how much time and energy her parents devoted to providing for their family.

Reading was another big part of Flynn’s life and she happily studied journalism at George Washington University where she was surrounded by voracious readers interested in all aspects of life. Not being able to read was something that never even crossed her mind. A few years after college, Flynn started working as a volunteer literacy tutor for local Vietnamese and Cambodian communities. It was an eye opening experience as she realized how difficult it was for adults to learn a new language and the difficulties associated with relying on children as inerpreters and the isolation of a new culture. She also saw how much her students value education – they treated her with so much respect and were so grateful for her willingness to teach them.

Volunteering, specifically working with literacy, is a big part of Flynn’s life. For more than thirty years she has been devoted to helping others gain important language skills. She knows that once you can read, the world opens up to you in so many ways.