“I want to prove that, if you put your heart into something, you will achieve it.”

Ronnie Gadio is the first READ USA teen tutor we have ever recognized with a Peace in the Pages award – and the reasons why are evident. Not only has he changed young students’ lives by being a READ USA tutor, but he has created his own version of success, even when he wasn’t sure if it was possible.

Watch more here:

Ronnie has taught multiple elementary students how to read proficiently while also modeling success: he earned a full-ride scholarship to the University of North Florida, where he began taking classes this semester.

But Ronnie hasn’t stopped there. He has taken what he’s learned as a READ USA tutor to help his father learn English. His family immigrated to the United States from Senegal before Ronnie was born, and while Ronnie was sharing his tutoring work with his dad, “That was when I discovered that my father knew every sound in the alphabet. He knew his letters, so I knew he had the potential to learn to read,” Ronnie shared. (Ronnie discusses this and more in his recently published Jeremy’s Journey biography, which you can purchase here for $20.)

That is the very essence of Ronnie’s outlook and approach to life: potential. It is for these reasons that Ronnie is our 2024 READ to Be Free Award Honoree, which honors an individual who uplifts the connection between the individual empowerment that comes from literacy and freedom. As George Washington Carver once said – and as Ronnie continues to prove – “Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom.”

Ronnie will be honored alongside six other award winners at our upcoming Peace in the Pages in Honor of Roseann Duran luncheon on Oct. 2 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at EverBank Stadium. You can read more about the event here. And it’s not too late – yet! – to sponsor READ USA and attend!

We look forward to celebrating Ronnie and all of our awards winners in just a couple weeks!

Attendance to Peace in the Pages is currently a benefit to our generous donors who support READ USA at $1,000 a year or more. You can become a READ USA sponsor here or by contacting Sydney King, READ USA Development Senior Director, at sydney@readusainc.com.

Welcome to Our New Board Members!

We are proud, honored, and grateful to have four highly esteemed community members join our Board of Directors! Our Board members help guide our organization’s mission and vision and ensure we are being responsive and proactive in addressing the evolving needs and desires of the community. Please join us in welcoming these fantastic community-focused individuals to Team READ USA!

Tee Ambrose, Florida Blue

Tee is the Senior Director of Care Strategy and Innovation at Florida Blue. Tee has held several different roles throughout her career, including marketing and corporate communications, as well as a 2^nd-grade teacher! At Florida Blue, Tee leads a team of individuals focused on continuous innovation and the “What Could Be” attitude, for which she was recently recognized as a Healthcare Innovation 40 Under 40 Award Winner. Read more about Tee here.

Ashley Goggins Blue, Ashley Goggins Law, P.A.

An attorney by training and in practice, Ashley has run her own law firm since 2017, focusing on family law and probate cases. She has also been a longtime volunteer with READ USA, and we are thrilled for her to continue supporting our mission as a Board member! Children’s wellbeing has always been a focus for Ashley, as she has continued to serve as a Guardian Ad Litem Volunteer Attorney at Jacksonville Area Legal Aid since 2013. Read more about Ashley here.

Kevin Hyde, Foley & Lardner LLP

At Foley & Lardner, Kevin represents employers in human resources matters, and he has been named a leading lawyer by multiple organizations and publications. He has also been a dedicated civic leader for more than 20 years, having served on multiple nonprofit boards and also serving as an elected member of Jacksonville’s City Council. Read more about Kevin here.

Margaret Sherrill, Keller Williams Realty

Margaret helped establish one of the largest real estate franchises in North Florida and serves as an investor and managing broker. Community-minded at her core, Margaret has served on boards of directors and led fundraising initiatives at several Beaches-areas nonprofit organizations during her more than two decades on the First Coast. Read more about Margaret here.

Thank you to Tee, Ashley, Kevin, and Margaret for volunteering their time, talent, and vision to advance READ USA’s mission! We are grateful for your involvement and support as we work to eradicate illiteracy, starting in Duval County.

READ USA Team Member Joins Rotary Club of Jacksonville

Our very own Kathleen McArthur, READ USA’s Grants Manager, has officially become a member of the Rotary Club of Jacksonville!

Photo provided by Rotary Club of Jacksonville via Facebook. Kathleen is on the far left.

Kathleen has worn several different hats during her nearly three years with READ USA. In her current role as Grants Manager, she oversees all of READ USA’s grant applications and reporting requirements. She also supports our Development Senior Director in identifying new funding opportunities for READ USA’s multi-faceted programming. She started with READ USA in 2022 as an Assessor for our Literacy Tutoring program.

“I joined READ USA because I could see directly the impact I could have on young people in our community, and it has been a truly rewarding experience to support different facets of our mission and organization,” Kathleen shared. “This is also why I joined the Rotary Club of Jacksonville: to work alongside fellow community-oriented individuals across all sectors to uplift our community as a whole. I am looking forward to all that’s to come!”

Kathleen joins 1.2 million other Rotarians – including her husband, Sandy McArthur – across the globe, all focused on “encouraging and fostering the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise.” Additionally, Rotarians encourage and foster high ethical standards in all professions, the advancement of international understanding and goodwill, and the “application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life,” among other areas. You can read more about the Rotary Club of Jacksonville here.

Congratulations to Kathleen for joining the ranks of this esteemed organization of community-focused individuals!

Calling All Volunteers for Events This Weekend & Beyond

Team READ USA has quite a busy weekend coming up – and there are fantastic opportunities for our volunteers to jump in and support!

Friday, Sept. 20: READ USA AmeriCorps Induction Ceremony

This Friday, we will induct our newest cohort of AmeriCorps Tutor Leaders! To help with this large event that includes many esteemed guests, our AmeriCorps Tutor Leaders, and their families, we need help with set-up, check-in, and guiding guests.

• 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
• Schultz Center: 4019 Boulevard Center Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32207

Saturday, Sept. 21: Jax Book Fest

The entire community is welcome to join READ USA, the Jacksonville Public Library, and other partners for a free book giveaway and family fun event! Volunteers will assist with setting up book displays, interacting with attendees and helping children choose books, and supporting overall event activities.

• 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Jacksonville Public Library – Main Library Downtown: 303 N. Laura Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202

Sign up HERE for either the AmeriCorps
Induction Ceremony or Jax Book Fest!

We are also seeking volunteers for our Peace in the Pages in Honor of Roseann Duran luncheon on Wednesday, Oct. 2!

At our annual luncheon coming up in just a couple weeks, our volunteers help the entire event run smoothly! From assisting with set-up, guest registration, guiding our guests, and tear-down, there is plenty to do – and our volunteers help make it all possible.

• Set-up: 7:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
• Check-in: 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
• General event support: 10:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
• EverBank Stadium, Gallagher Club East: 1 EverBank Stadium Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32202

Sign up HERE to support at the

Peace in the Pages in Honor of Roseann Duran luncheon!

Children’s Book: Mango, Abuela, and Me by Meg Medina

Illustrated by Angela Dominguez

Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month is celebrated between September 15 and October 15 of each year. What better way to honor Hispanic culture and history with children than with a picture book!

When a little girl’s far-away grandmother comes to stay, love and patience transcend language in a tender story written by Meg Medina.

Mia’s Abuela has left her sunny house with parrots and palm trees to live with Mia and her parents in the city. The night she arrives, Mia tries to share her favorite book with Abuela before they go to sleep and discovers that Abuela can’t read the words inside. So, while they cook, Mia helps Abuela learn English (“Dough. Masa.”), and Mia learns some Spanish too, but it’s still hard for Abuela to learn the words she needs to tell Mia all her stories. It’s not easy learning a new language, so when Mia spots a parrot in a pet-shop window, she buys it to keep Abuela company. The parrot learns English and Spanish, and Mia and Abuela’s bond begins to speak louder than words.

The story depicts how difficult it is to learn a new language (and read a book), but Mia takes on the challenge. As they embark on this journey of learning new things, they find their relationship growing stronger. The exceptional and vibrant illustrations by Angela Dominguez give life to this delightful tale, which reminds us that there is beauty in learning and that the challenges we surpass can draw us closer to our loved ones.

Submitted by Kathi Hart, Lead Content Specialist