I was born and raised in the Bronx and for most of my childhood and adolescence I attended failing schools. I, of course, didn’t know it at the time. I received good grades and passed all my classes. I sat in the front of the class because I loved learning. I thought I was a great student. Then I went to college and reality hit me. I didn’t know how to read to truly understand the deeper meaning of a book. Worse, I couldn’t properly write a paragraph – let alone an essay.