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Curtis is from Conyers, Georigia.
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Curtis was in 3rd grade, he had a teacher conference.
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Teacher said Curtis is a nice boy but he has a reading problem and needs to repeat third grade.
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Curtis decided to lie about not being able to read or write so people would not call him dumb or stupid.
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He doesn't blame the school for not helping him but he is learning the skills to lie and not be questioned.
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"If you sound smart, people will think you are smart". He wanted TV videos to get vocabulary to keep" up the scam".
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Heavy electives and light on academics for his schedule in high school.
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Star football player, student council member, and won a cooking competition.
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He got a scholarship for college. His whole family was happy. He was scared because he had to lie for 4 more years.
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Halfway through sophomore year( 1.5 years), he dropped out off college.
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He moved to California.
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He got a job at a grocery store but he got in trouble with his boss became he can't read.
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He wanted to open his own produce company( fruit/ vegetable)
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He would give blank checks to companies because he could not read the invoices.
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Curtis did not know he had to lower his price, so he lost his customers and his business fell.
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He was traveling and could not read road sign or airport signs.
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Curtis saw a PSA for a program the helps people read with no judgement.
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He took literacy class with Steve and Ginny.
He felt happy to be honest about his problem. -
He does very well with the literacy program and can read a book a week.
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He back to Georgia starts another produce company and eventually because a food columnist.
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He decided to become a celebrity and use platform to reach out to the illiteracy community.
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He called an old friend confessed his past and the friend called news shows to share his story.
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Published his first cookbook.
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Curtis messed up on TV reading a TelePrompTer and cried on national TV.
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People called the TV show looking for help with reading because of Curtis.