March is Women’s History Month. It’s a time to celebrate and reflect on the important role women played in society and what they continue to contribute today. 79% of READ Center tutors and 80% of READ Center teachers are women. The READ Center is led by a board that is 69% female. Women are an important part of The READ Center.
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“Having grown up in a family where one of the parents was unable to read, I wanted to be a part of The READ Center in support of our students all of whom are trying to better their lives and the lives of their families.”
– Nora N. Crouch, Board President for The READ Center
Nora is the Chief Accounting Officer for Markel Corporation. Nora joined The READ Center Board in 2013. She served as Treasurer and Vice President before becoming the Board President.
“I love sharing information and what better way to do that than through teaching. Here in Richmond at the READ Center with an even wider reach that include teachers, tutors, students and staff, I continue to strive to find and share information that is transformational, inspirational, historical, motivational and meaningful to our READ Center family and the community.”
– Nausha Brown-Chavez, Education Program Manager for The READ Center
Nausha has more than 10 years of adult literacy experience. She started her career as a volunteer adult literacy teacher with Literacy Action, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia.
“READ Center students are our storytellers. Each student has a story to share of their journey. How they came to this path in their lives and needed some assistance with their “map” reading skills. As guides, we lead them through the rough roads called alphabets, vocabulary, and fluency and back to the road of comprehension. As teachers, we are thankful just to be to a chapter in these students’ lives and keeping them on this path called literacy.”
– Leslie Harper, Teacher and Tutor Trainer for The READ Center
Leslie is a full-time as a graphic designer who came to READ 2006 as a volunteer tutor. She became a READ Center staff member in 2007 and has a Master’s in Adult Education.
“The students thank me for helping them to improve their reading, writing, digital, and numeracy skills. However, I have to thank them many times over for helping me to become more patient, understanding, tolerant, inclusive, flexible, organized… an overall better person. I look forward to every class and wonder “what will I learn today?”. And I get to share my love of teaching and reading!”
– Carolyn Harsh, Teacher and Tutor Trainer for The READ Center
Carolyn, a retired teacher, found The READ Center about ten years ago when looking for volunteer opportunities in the local paper. Carolyn joined The READ Center as a volunteer tutor and then became a teacher.
“I choose to volunteer for The READ Center because they focus on helping individual adults learn to read, improve their reading and/or improve their comprehension. Basic reading skills are fundamental to being able to handle everyday living such as: graduating from high school (at least), taking a driver’s test, filling out job applications, reading prescriptions and instructions from doctors, and getting information from books, newspapers or online.”
– Susan Haggarty, Tutor for The READ Center
Susan was a full-time stay at home Mom and read in her children’s classrooms for many years. Susan came to READ in 2015 as a volunteer tutor to continue to share her love of reading.
