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Aminata Sy

6 Messages for English and or Adult Learners

Published 17 days ago • 1 min read

The Destined Newsletter

6 Messages for English and or Adult Learners || August 2026 || ISSUE #26

Author of the memoir Destined: A Story of Resilience and Beating the Odds

Dear Reader,

I was an English learner for years after immigrating to America. And I was an adult learner throughout my academic journey in America. I went from a high school dropout to earning a GED and later an associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degree. I share my experiences in my memoir Destined.

During the launch week of Destined last year, I had a conversation with Advocast, an adult education podcast by the national organization Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE). Here are the key messages I shared for English and or adult learners.

Do you know a community college or university student who would benefit from receiving my monthly newsletter with tips on learning, reading, writing, or resilience?
  1. We need to have a deep understanding of why we’re pursuing an education in order to stay the course when things get hard.
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  2. We all start at different points in our English and or adult learner journeys, and we each have specific circumstances. So we just need to start and to keep going.
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  3. English learning in America is not just about learning a language but about establishing a life for yourself.
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  4. It’s important to focus on the task and goal at hand, even as we have bigger aspirations.
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  5. We only need one consistent person in our lives to support our educational journey.
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  6. Returning to school in America and continuing your education is about trying to improve your life and hopefully taking it as far as you want.

Which one of these 6 messages resonates with you the most and why?

Here is the link to the full conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=273MAFuMBvE​
I would love your review of Destined on Amazon. Your review can focus on answering the following question: Can you share how you were impacted by Destined?

Keep going!

Aminata Sy
Author of Destined: A Story of Resilience and Beating the Odds

4508 Sansom Street Philadelphia, PA 19139
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Aminata Sy

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