Finding My Purpose Through Wise Readers to Leaders

Eleven years ago – the program’s inaugural year – I spent my first summer working with Wise Readers to Leaders. Since then, my experiences there have deeply impacted my life. I started out as a volunteer and then became a Literacy Leader. These past three years, I’ve been a Literacy Leader and have been responsible for teaching a culturally significant and engaging literacy curriculum to classes of scholars that have changed my life forever. This program ignited my passion for teaching and has helped me find my purpose in life: teaching.

Each summer I teach at Wise Readers to Leaders, I grow as a teacher and my love for this program grows stronger. This program has not only helped me find my passion, but has also helped me evolve as a teacher by affording me the opportunity to apply the knowledge I’ve learned in my college education classes. The hands-on knowledge I’ve gained in this program has given me the tools to create a more vibrant and engaging learning environment for my students.

In my many years with Wise Readers to Leaders, I’ve learned many effective teaching techniques and seen the great impact this multifaceted program has had on our scholars, from combating “the summer slide” to instilling a love of reading!

I’ve witnessed firsthand the great impact this program has on LAUSD students by helping to close the achievement gap and strengthening students’ self-esteem. This program has played a formative role in my life for the last seven years and has left a mark on my life forever.