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Watch the book launch to hear first-hand from some of the women their inspiring stories
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A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will support the Dominican Literacy Center. It makes a great gift for anyone, but especially for the women in your life who, like the women in the stories Anna Marie shares, have take bold steps to improve their lives.
Springfield, Ill. —We Are Eagles, a new book by Anna Marie Kukec Tomczyk, tell the inspiring stories of immigrant women who took bold steps in life through literacy. It highlights the impact of the Dominican Literacy Center, Aurora, Ill., where the women learned and found support from one another and the Dominicans Sisters of Springfield who sponsor the center.
The book’s author is an accomplished journalist and longtime friend of the Dominican Sisters of Springfield.
“I approached the sisters about a different book idea, but this ended up being the perfect, truly inspiring project for me,” Anna Marie said. “These women, who also represent countless others, came here with very little but gained so much more at the Dominican Literacy Center. Their accomplishments include the most basic, everyday things to more complex, dramatic events that offer relatable points for just about any reader.”
Sister Kathleen Ryan, the founder and administrator of the Dominican Literacy Center, says she is inspired every day by the women who come to the center to learn to read and write English and prepare for their citizenship exams. “It has been a great privilege for me to know and teach these immigrant women. Their value system cherishes family and faith, and they continue to live those values here in their new country,” she said. “They are living proof that immigration is good for our country.”
The Dominican Sisters of Springfield have two literacy centers and Sister Judith Curran, director of Dominican Literacy Center, Melrose Park, Ill., says she is privileged to walk with the women who learn at her center, as well. “Assisting the women with the English language is empowering for them and for the tutors and staff, who witness their dedication, optimism, gratefulness, and courage,” she said.
Founded in 1993 in response to an influx of immigrants into the Aurora area, the Dominican Literacy Center has more than 200 volunteers who have taught reading, writing and citizenship to more than 2,500 women in 28 years.
After the launch, the book will be available for purchase on Amazon. A portion of the profits will be donated to the Dominican Literacy Center. For more information about the author and the book, please visit: https://amkukectomczyk.com/.
