Inspiring the next generation is the duty of seasoned professionals, wise industry veterans who yearn to share their knowledge. The symbiotic mentor/mentee relationship is a strong one, built on a foundation of shared interest and enthusiasm. For many, the term “mentor” is not associated with a young person; a mentor is thought to be someone with a lifetime of experience. For a remarkable few, however, crossing the threshold from student to master is accomplished before the age of 30.
Join the next #ILAchat on Twitter at 8 p.m. Nov. 12 when we’ll ask some of the extraordinary people who made ILA’s inaugural 30 Under 30 list of young, yet experienced, leaders who are finding innovative ways to promote literacy. Evolving from mentee to mentor, each of these remarkable literacy leaders represents the future of our field.
We look forward to reconnecting with these inspiring individuals to discuss how they were able to follow their passion for education. Young literacy leaders themselves, our featured contributors will open up about the mentors who support them, challenges that discourage them, and why they chose to pursue a role in literacy.
Don’t miss our upcoming #ILAchat on Nov. 12 at 8:00 p.m. EST featuring these young literacy leaders:
- Louise Baigelman is the executive director and cofounder of Story Share, a nonprofit that encourages authors to create content for teens and young adults who read below their grade level. At 28, her résumé includes Teach for America, Boston, English teacher at KIPP Academy in Massachusetts, and literacy coach in New York.
- Kevin English, 25, was first elected to the school board of Van Buren Public Schools in Michigan at age 19. As an English teacher at Wayne Memorial High School, he is a member of the literacy initiative team, a leader of the staff professional book study group, and a teacher leader for Reading Apprenticeship Improving Secondary Education (RAISE) teachers.
- Ana Dodson was only 11 years old when she founded Peruvian Hearts, a nonprofit working to eradicate poverty and gender inequality by educating young women in Peru. More than a decade later, the now 23-year-old Dodson, and Peruvian Hearts, continue to provide food, clothes, and medical care to hundreds of girls.
- Jon Wargo is 29 and a PhD student at Michigan State University. He is currently working on his dissertation, “Connective Compositions and Sitings of Selves.” He was awarded the Conference on College Composition and Communication Gloria Anzaldua Rhetorician Award in 2015 for his research exploring the language and literacy tendencies of the LGBTQ community in Michigan.
Other 30 Under 30 honorees are expected to join the conversation using #ILAchat. Follow the hashtag and @ILAtoday at 8 p.m. Nov. 12 to keep the conversation going.
Alexandra Baruch is ILA's communications intern.