Bernice Howes first connected with EWI when she volunteered in the office, assembling packets of books and worksheets for students. Then the retired special education teacher learned about Power Read. “This sounded like something I did in my job,” she says, and promptly signed up to mentor. “I enjoy reading with students of all ages because they all bring something. It’s just fun because it’s always new and fresh,” she says. Something Bernice appreciates in Power Read is flexibility. “A lot of times the students just want to tell you their stories,” she says, and sometimes they “get a little squiggly” and a word search or writing or drawing activity is the answer. Ultimately, she says, the EWI team is the key to success: “We’re working with people who are wonderful. They’re all here for the same thing.”