“We’re all we got.”
Receiving his high school diploma was always a goal of Mike’s, but his journey to success was not without obstacles. In 2016, Michael Lang was thrown off his motorcycle after being hit by a drunk driver and was left with severe nerve damage to his right arm. Despite being in and out of hospital, with a total of 22 surgeries, Mike committed to completing his high school education.
Mike enrolled in an adult education course at community college to receive his GED, but ultimately dropped it after 2 weeks. A year passed before Mike tried again. This time, he found the Goodwill Excel Center. Apprehensive at first, Mike knew he needed a classroom setting with opportunity to be one-on-one with a teacher in order to learn most comfortably. Luckily, that’s exactly what he found when he arrived at Goodwill.
As he stepped into the classroom, Mike did something he never did before: He sat at the front of the class. He was not only ready to learn, but excited. He became a “teacher’s pet”, eagerly asked questions when needed, and trusted the process. From 2018 to 2022, Mike was balancing school, multiple jobs, fatherhood, hospital visits, and dealing with everyday pain from his accident.
During these years, Mike would come home to his daughter and compare their schoolwork successes. He’d show her that he was on the A/B honor roll and she’d brag about getting an A on her ABC’s test. Mike is happy to be a role model and encourages his daughter to strive to be a smart student, always challenging one another to do good.
Mike’s talent to act as a role model goes beyond his home. Mike makes a point to spend time giving back to and taking care of his community (bringing his daughter along, of course), and often found himself giving guidance to younger students in his class at the Goodwill Excel Center. Noticing the pattern of his peers gravitating to him for mentorship in school, Mike realized the need for social workers in the community is high.
Mike knew he wanted to work for GoodWill once he graduated, but he was unsure of what qualifications he would need beyond his diploma. Now, three years in the classroom later, Mike has received his high school diploma and is working as a career coach at Goodwill through the Literacy Coalition’s Texas Family Literacy AmeriCorps program. Working as a career coach with AmeriCorps further allows Mike to encourage his daughter to do good. He occasionally brings her along to work where she’s been given the honorary title of “Official Jr. AmeriCorps Member.” She’s excited to be a part of the AmeriCorps crew, and loves to contribute. “It all fell into place,” Mike reflected.
In August, Mike will be attending Austin Community College to pursue a bachelors degree in social work. In the meantime, he’s been learning more about social justice and educating himself on how he can make a difference in the system by drafting legislative bills.
Mike strives to be a person that everyone looks up to and practices treating people with kindness and leading by example. He’s a strong believer in taking care of yourself and your community- “We’re all we got.”
Thank you, Mike, for your sharing your inspirational story and for your service on our AmeriCorps team!