Jannay Towne was a mentor for years before she joined the Everybody Wins! Iowa Board of Directors. A co-chair of the Marketing Committee, she notes her role as a board member means she can help even more people learn about Power Read. The greatest satisfaction, she says, is when a student is excited about choosing and reading books or when she encounters a student’s family member outside the program and hears her mentoring made a difference. “Mentoring is a priority for me, and I plan my life around Thursdays,” she says. “It’s just about showing up every week and being there for your child. They really pick up on the commitment and enjoy the one-on-one attention.”

Though she’s one of the adults, Stacy Pearce says she’s the one learning from children in the schools she oversees. “They’re so observant and smart,” she says. “Our students may not all be reading at grade level, but it still amazes me, the things they know, and I really think it’s important for adults to know that.” Stacy got involved with Everybody Wins! Iowa as a mentor at Crestview School of Inquiry and then worked as a site coordinator at three schools before becoming a program manager. “I’m so lucky I get paid to do this,” she says.