Rosaura "Chawa" Magaña is a cultural worker, literary organizer, safe-space creator, healing presence, compassionate listener, principled voice, and the owner/operator of Palabras Bilingual Bookstore. Magaña has created a unique space that has shifted the cultural landscape of Phoenix to be more inclusive, equitable, and artistically enriched. Besides providing a much needed space for Spanish speakers to seek literary works in their language,  Magaña has created her monthly "POC It To Me" open mic to center the  local voices of people of color. She has also established a book club for women,  developed a bi-weekly writing group for women of color, and has invited other organizations to host writing groups, such us Trans Queer Pueblo's "Creatures of Our Dreams." Her tireless advocacy and community-centered approach has impacted many people. She has given a voice to people of color, and also fostered community connections and growth.

Karen O'Keefe is an outstanding educator with a focus on K-12 literacy, and a unique passion for connecting students to the community through her extensive outreach efforts. O'Keefe seeks out people in the community to support literacy programs including retired and working individuals, illustrators, artists, authors, and even family members of the students. She also enlists the support of countless community-based, nonprofit and corporate organizations. O'Keefe's community-based events both inside and outside the school, have recast the importance of literacy for Mountain View School. She is the recipient of many awards of excellence from the Washington School District for her innovative/interactive learning programs including  PencilPALS,  Multi-Cultural Day,  Young Authors Day,  Family Reading Nights, and  Read Across America Day.