When Molly Wilkerson was a 2nd and 3rd grade student at St. Theresa’s Catholic School in Des Moines, she was a shy, struggling reader at first. During her two years in the Everybody Wins! Iowa Power Read program she gained confidence in her reading while building a strong connection with her mentor, Mattie. “I struggled in reading and received extra help. I got frustrated reading and I did not enjoy reading on my own,” Molly shared. At first, Mattie read to Molly but as she progressed, Molly began reading to Mattie.
Molly remembers her mentor, Mattie, fondly and runs into her from time to time. “My favorite thing I remember about my time in the Power Read program is the table of books that I chose 1 or 2 books to take home.”
When looking back on her year in 3rd grade, “I became a strong reader and did not need as much help. I became interested in the series, Baby Mouse, by Jennifer L. Holm, and looked forward to the new ones coming to our school library.” Molly speaks very highly of her experience as a participant in the Power Read program at St. Theresa’s. “I feel like the program helped me be a stronger reader and helped my frustrations go away,” she explains.
Currently, Molly is a sophomore at Valley High School in West Des Moines and is committed to her classes and studies. Molly shared, “I now succeed as a student and take more advanced classes. I have really grown as a student, now I try extremely hard to maintain good grades.” Her future plans are to attend college and pursue a degree in fashion design.