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“Like in most families, there is a villain and there is a hero…” Marten Griego

In the story of Marten Griego’s life, the villain was his mentally unstable grandmother who raised him. She thought Griego was the devil; she uprooted them constantly because she thought her dead husband’s ghost was chasing them. Griego’s education suffered from the constant change in schools; he made a deal with his teachers: “I would leave them alone if they would leave me alone.” By the age of 11, Griego was a full-fledged alcoholic; at 18, he was heavily into drug use; by the age of 26, he was pronounced mentally ill and was sent to a hospital.

Griego became convinced that he needed to change his life after hearing other mental patients talk about the horrible things they had done. He heard about the ReadWest Inc.literacy program in Rio Rancho, NM and, assured that no one would know about his studies, Griego met the hero in his life story—volunteer tutor, Gordon Suits. Suits not only tutored Griego in reading and writing one-on-one, he also encouraged Griego to write his life story. Nine years after entering the literacy program barely able to read and write, Griego became an author when his memoir, Leaving the House of Tears, was published.

Marten Griego now serves on the board of ReadWest Inc.; he tutors other adults, gives motivational speeches, and raises money for the cause of adult literacy – “the list goes on and on of all the wonderful things that I am today … my life is incredible,” he said.