(It is a pleasure to welcome Jalisa Cruz to the A to Z Literacy Movement team and hope you enjoy her first blog post.)

I have been blessed to watch A to Z Literacy Movement strive for the past decade from behind the scenes. This organization began when I was in middle school and I can vividly remember Mal Keenan coming into my classroom to share her experiences in Zambia, Africa. I was in awe of the organization’s selflessness, their passion to give back, and their determination as educators to provide literacy for students across the world. Fast-forwarding to my junior year of high school, I got the privilege to be able to work with A to Z Literacy as part of a semester-long project. As a class: we raised money for the organization, reached out to local elementary schools to donate books, made friendship bracelets and Christmas cards to students in Zambia, and lastly, we created engaging lesson plans for teachers to use with leveled books to support their students.

From the time A to Z began, it was a dream of mine to give back and make an impact. My junior year of high school fueled that passion and dream. Now, I am a junior at Oakland University studying Elementary Education, and witnessing more than ever the importance of literacy and supporting the learning needs of students. As I am approaching the end of my college education, I want to use my blessings and my education to make an impact. Education is a priceless gift –– a gift that I hope to be able to give kids across the world. I am humbled to be part of the next generation of educators providing an equitable education for students, supporting the needs of each student, and ensuring that each student has the opportunity to succeed both inside and outside the classroom. So, why A to Z? A to Z is a movement that fights to provide literacy and education for students in Zambia, Africa, and across the world. I am blessed to have been able to see A to Z from behind the scenes for so many years, and now I have the opportunity to fight alongside them in this movement. A to Z is supporting my passions, my dreams, and helping me be the best educator I can be inside and outside of the classroom.