At Richmond Hill High School (RHHS), students wrote a new kind of story—one that changed lives before the first grade.

Led by teacher and mentor Alexis Washington, along with co-sponsor and teacher Mrs. Robinson, the school’s Young Women Excel club spent the last seven weeks visiting Richmond Hill Primary School twice a week, sharing stories and smiles with the community’s youngest learners. Their mission? To foster literacy, mentorship, and the simple joy of reading through the Young Wildcat Reading Literacy Program.

Targeting children ages 4 to 5, the initiative focused on building early literacy skills—page by page, week by week. But what made this story even sweeter was the surprise twist that came later in the month: every child served by the program received a brand-new book to take home, creating a bridge between classroom learning and at-home discovery.

Thanks to a generous donation from Lisa Libraries, a New York-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting underserved youth, 140 books were gifted to these budding readers. The giveaway event took place at Richmond Hill Primary School on April 25, 2025.

“This is about more than reading,” said Washington. “It’s about teens realizing they can be role models, and little ones seeing themselves in stories—and in their mentors.”

Mrs. Robinson, co-sponsor and teacher at RHHS, believes it is crucial to stand behind our teens and push them to reach even greater heights.

Washington also expressed her sincere gratitude to the administrators who worked behind the scenes to make the program possible. Special thanks were extended to Mr. Miller of Richmond Hill High School, who consistently supports the club’s efforts to improve the community. She also thanked Mrs. Nancy Highsmith, who warmly accepted their offer and welcomed the group into Richmond Hill Primary School to work with the young Wildcats, and Mrs. Dell Wood, Instructional Coach, who carefully organized the logistics and created a schedule that allowed all seven classes to be served while maintaining the flow of day-to-day operations.

Lastly, the team is incredibly thankful to the owner of Nasso Doughnuts, who graciously donated 13 dozen doughnuts for the event without hesitation. She was thrilled to be part of such a meaningful initiative.

It was a testament to what happens when student leadership meets community service: inspiration, empowerment, and a whole lot of heart.