Madeline Carrera

Readers are Leaders 2017: This event is always an amazing experience. This year, I read in Mrs. Brooke's 3rd Grade class. We read "Fox in Socks" and "The Cat in the Hat" (funnily enough, this is the first year I actually read Cat in the Hat). The students were engaged, interested, and LOVED the storytime. I noticed the instructor nodding as I was reading, smiling as she too enjoyed the story. That felt great. I talked about Gateway a bit, too, and several students mentioned their parents attended Gateway or worked there. I told them how great it was that their parents were learning and going to school - how wonderful it is to hear of people wanting to learn. These students' sat up straighter with pride, and that, too, made me feel good :)

Readers are Leaders is a great annual service activity intended to connect working professionals with K-12 students. I tell them about what I do, who I am, and why I enjoy reading to them, and then I read 2 Dr. Seuss books. My favorite book to read out loud is Fox In Socks because it's full of tongue twisters and can be really engaging for the students listening. I felt like this group of students really engaged with me this year. I felt like they really valued my time and were excited to hear the stories I read. In previous years, this hasn't always been so. I will do this again next year (and the next and next and next).