Toni Cordell

Toni Cordell’s life story is one of “stumbling blocks being turned into stepping stones.”  She has faced numerous challenges because of her poor education compounded by dyslexia.  It is not a surprise that the lack of proper education created problems in dealing with the medical system.

Cordell is a native of San Francisco, California, where she is sad to say, she graduated from High School reading at the fifth-grade level.  Cordell became involved in literacy after being tutored by a Laubach Literacy volunteer in 1989.

She is nationally recognized in Literacy circles because Cordell “roller skated” across the United States in 1990.  The sole purpose of that event was to draw mass media attention to the solvable problem of illiteracy.  Cordell and her husband, Carl, funded most of that project themselves, with some financial help from IBM and Marriott and a few other companies.

One of the achievements Cordell is most proud of is the Film Production Company she formed in the 1970s.  That made it possible for her to travel to India, Africa and Central America filming documentaries.  In India, she was thrilled to meet Mother Teresa.

Cordell continues to believe that life long education is one of the major keys to personal growth and success.  She hopes that there is still time for her to earn a college degree.  But she feels her computer is a stumbling block.

By the way, she now reads about one book per week and is back in class. 

To learn more about Toni Cordell’s personal journey through limitations to victory, please visit her website at www.tonicordell.com.