READ USA Teen Tutor Ronnie Gadio is our 2024 READ to Be Free Award Honoree. The READ to Be Free Award honors an individual who uplifts the connection between the individual empowerment that comes from literacy and freedom. As George Washington Carver once said, “Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom,” and our award recipient is also someone who fully embodies this ideal.
As one of six children – and the only one born in the United States – Ronnie was born in Jacksonville in 2005 and has grown up as a lifelong Jaxson (so far!). His parents immigrated to the U.S. in 2000 from Senegal in West Africa, bringing Ronnie’s two older brothers and three older sisters with them. “They are hardworking, loving parents, but they could never read books with me. They speak mainly Pulaar, their native language, and only read Arabic. It was my brother, Baidy, who read to me and helped me with my homework,” Ronnie told Jeremy, our fictional Jeremy’s Journey storyteller, for his book.
“After Baidy left for college at FAMU, my oldest brother, Ali, got me interested in non-fiction books. I’ve read about human psychology, which has impacted me – helping to shape me into the person I am today,” Ronnie also shared with Jeremy.
Ronnie attended John Love Early Learning Center and R. L. Brown Gifted and Talented Academy, and just recently graduated from Raines High School. Since he was in 10th grade, Ronnie has been a READ USA tutor at North Shore Elementary School. He spends 40 minutes on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays with three students each day, and he shared with Jeremy that he has become close to his students and is proud of their reading progress. He celebrates this reading growth with his students, telling Jeremy, “I try to be a good example and a leader with READ USA – like being a big brother for the younger students to follow. Learning to read is a pathway to success for them and for me.” Ronnie has credited being a READ USA tutor with improving his own reading skills as well, and he now reads books for pleasure, self-help, and learning.
However, Ronnie has taken what he learned as a tutor one giant step further: he tutors his father in English as well. It started his sophomore year, when he went through READ USA tutor training, and he brought home some training materials to show 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.” Since that time, his father has quickly caught on and has improved his English – all thanks to Ronnie’s dedication.
Today, having learned a lot about literacy and leadership during his time as a READ USA tutor, Ronnie feels that an important part of leadership is being honest with others and himself, which leads to doing the right thing. He has encouraged his peers to join the Literacy Tutoring program as tutors as well. “READ USA is great,” Ronnie told Jeremy. “It helps you with real life and teaches you how to deal with children and earn their respect. It has helped me become a better reader and a better person – 100%.”
And we are 100% confident that you will continue to soar in college and in life beyond, Ronnie! As you embark on your college journey at the University of North Florida this summer, we wish you tremendous success!
You can read more about Ronnie by ordering his Jeremy’s Journey book for $20/copy here.