A foundation of the children, by the children, and for the children
The My Own Book Team Gives Away the 10,000th Book!
Brady and Kyle are not only good brothers, but also good friends.
They are both Eagle Scouts and have earned every merit badge available (121!). In addition, they earned the coveted Hornaday Award for their work in conservation. In high school, both boys were members of their school's Academic Decathlon program, Junior State of America, and the Varsity Tennis team. They are also Platinum Stars in 4-H, and have served as County All-Stars. Both boys are Alexander Hamilton Citizenship Achievement Gold Award Winners.
Brady and his collections were featured in The Ultimate Guide to Collecting. Brady represented his school at the National DECA competition this spring in Atlanta. Brady is a Youth Venture Ambassador. Currently, Brady is vice chairman of Fairfield Youth Commission and is part of the International Baccalaureate program at the local high school.
Kyle attends Bryant University in Rhode Island. He is active in the Student- Alumni and the Legal Studies clubs. Kyle was selected as the California American Legion Eagle Scout of the Year, and is a Elks Most Valuable Student Scholarship winner. In addition, Kyle is a Coca Cola Scholar and is a McKelvey Entrepreneur Scholarship Winner.
Brady and Kyle were awarded the Dale Earnhardt Legend Leadership Award. They attended the Center for the Book Library of Congress Idea Exchange in Washington, D.C. to learn more about literacy and how to grow their program. They were selected to attend the ServiceNation Summit in New York City, which included a Presidential Forum, to help encourage citizen service around the nation.
Javier and a happy book owner!
Gerry puts a bookplate in a book
Javier and Gerardo (Gerry) Mendez are identical twins from Peru. They joined My Own Book in 2006. Their fluency in Spanish, willingness to help, and love of reading make them a great part of our team. They were both involved in the Academic Decathlon Team, the International Baccalaureate Programme, and the Varsity Tennis team in high school (undefeated in doubles!) making them well-rounded students. They attend Solano Community College with the goal of transferring either to Sacramento State University or UC Davis. They are active in the community and at church. Javier assists in a local tennis program and Gerardo plays the guitar for church. Their work, dedication, and enthusiasm is greatly appreciated.
Cowgirl Sarah Rounds Up Readers
Sarah Doolittle is 18 years old and a freshman at Solano Community College. Sarah brings a love of children and ANIMALS to our program. In the last few years she has raised quail, swine, steer, sheep, chickens and rabbits. Sarah also works part-time at a vetinary hospital. She was enrolled in the Future Farmers of America program in high school and aspires to become a veterinarian, or a veterinary surgeon.
Blanca with a new reader
Blanca Guerra , a recent high school graduate, attends the local community college with plans to transfer to UC Davis. Blanca plans on a career in Criminal Justice. Blanca is active in her church, theater, sports, and traditional Mexican dancing. She is great with children and as an added plus speaks fluent Spanish!
Paige Wold says: "Starting a My Own Book chapter at the University of North Dakota (UND) has allowed me to share my passion and love of reading with local elementary and middle school students. Chairing this volunteer project has also advanced my leadership and responsibility within the Honors Program at UND. The concept is simple but definitely effective. I read a book for the students and then allow them to select their own book to take home for their very own. The MOB project has let me make a personal contribution to a cause I think is vital to the youth of America: sharing and hopefully transmitting the love of reading.
I am originally from Beulah, North Dakota. This is a small town in the northwest corner of the state. Growing up in the home of two educators I was constantly surrounded by books and taught the power and potential in knowledge. Through my parents example I also learned the value in sharing that knowledge and passion through volunteering. From a very young age I was blessed to have an enthusiasm for life instilled in me.
In terms of experience I am activity involved in many extracurricular groups on campus including Emerging Leaders, Students Ambassadors, and numerous Honors committees. I began volunteering in elementary school and continued throughout middle and high school. My experience with children began with babysitting and continued through my participation as a Peer Youth leader for 1st and 5th grade students. I've been involved in many diverse organizations and events at UND. From escorting authors at the UND Writer's Conference, labeling/sorting items at the ARC Thrift Store, to serving meals to those in need at the Northlands Rescue Mission. I have also donated my time at American Red Cross blood drives and Relay for Life events. This past summer I was given a great deal of responsibility when our local librarian gave me the position of Summer Reading Program Coordinator. My duties included promoting the program and recruiting participants. I did this by providing individual presentations for all classes grades K-8 and designing/ distributing flyers to the students and posting them in common areas. Other responsibilities included conducting reading and discussion groups, scheduling speakers, and leading activities. Coordinating the SRP was an excellent experience because, like the MOB project, it combined my passions for reading and working with kids. It allowed me to share and spread the love of learning to a younger generation.
The goal I am currently working towards is securing an internship after my junior year at Random House Publishing Company in New York City. After a great deal of research I've learned that if I want to get into editing and publishing, New York is where I need to be. Random House provides an extremely unique and educational intern experience. Fortunately, having vacationed there with my family I have already fallen in love with New York City. My other aspirations for the future include graduating with Honors and continuing my extracurricular and civic involvement. If all goes as planned I should graduate from UND in May of 2011. Upon graduation I plan to get a job in publishing or editing, ideally in the literary sector where I can continue to read."
Anusha Chemicala
Anusha Chemicala is a freshman at the Academy of Notre Dame. Her school encouraged Anusha to find a way to help her community and her love of books and reading brought her to start my own chapter in Massachusetts. Also, Anusha loves kids and believes reading to them is a lot of fun. She plays volleyball in the fall and tennis in the spring. In the winter Anusha devotes her time to the school musical because she loves to sing, dance, and act. Anusha believes acting on stage is a great way to build confidence. Learning and education are both very important to her. Since she value them so much, she works to share her love of learning with others. In school Anusha is in all honors classes and is on the principles list. She loves to help others whenever they need it. Someday she hopes to go to an Ivy League school. Even though Anusha is not 100% sure of what she wants to be when she am older, she has big dreams and an even bigger drive to achieve her goals.
Montae Makess Reading Fun!
Montae Langston, a student at U.C.L.A. is involved in both school and community activities. He interned in Washington, D.C. during the summer. Montae is also a member of the Youth Advisory Board for Foster A Dream. In addition he has won numerous awards such as first place in Yosemite Forensic League Congress. Montae has aspirations to study at Harvard Law School after college.
