Reading Program Initiative
Inspiring Young Minds Through the Joy of Books
Where Every Story Builds a Bridge Between Cultures
Program Overview
Building community through the power of shared stories
During my time at North Babylon High School in North Babylon, New York, I organized and led a community reading initiative driven by a personal belief that education and cultural exchange are among the most powerful tools for building inclusive communities. Growing up between cultures — with family roots in El Salvador and a life shaped by Long Island, New York — I witnessed firsthand how language and storytelling can either divide or unite people.
This program brought reading sessions to children in the local community through multilingual, interactive experiences at three nearby schools. By sharing stories in both English and Spanish, and actively celebrating the cultural context behind each book, every session created a space where every child felt seen and valued.
More than just reading aloud, each session sparked discussion, encouraged questions, and fostered the kind of empathy that turns classmates into community. Over 125 children participated, and the relationships built in these sessions extended well beyond the classroom.
Students from kindergarten through 5th grade participated in interactive reading sessions across multiple schools and communities.
Partnerships with three local schools in the North Babylon area created consistent, recurring programming that students could look forward to each visit.
Sessions conducted in both English and Spanish ensured that multilingual students could engage fully and feel represented.
Books were carefully selected to represent a wide range of cultures, traditions, and lived experiences — reflecting the diversity in every classroom.
Activities & Impact
How each session creates lasting change
Diverse Engagement
Visited 3 elementary schools to share stories in multiple languages, ensuring that children from different cultural backgrounds feel celebrated and included. Book selections intentionally represent a variety of ethnicities, family structures, and life experiences.
Community Building
Through interactive readings and guided discussions, the program fosters an atmosphere of empathy, cultural exchange, and harmonious community living. Students are encouraged to share their own stories and connect the books to their lives.
Educational Empowerment
Dedicated to instilling the value of knowledge, the initiative empowers children to discover their potential and build a foundation for lifelong learning. Every session ends with a Q&A to encourage curiosity and independent thinking.
How a Session Works
From preparation to lasting impact
Book Selection & Preparation
Each session begins with deliberate book selection — choosing titles that represent the cultural backgrounds present in the classroom, spark curiosity, and are available in both English and Spanish where possible.
Interactive Reading
Sessions are conversational rather than one-directional. Children are invited to predict what happens next, explain what they see in the illustrations, and connect the story to their own experiences.
Cultural Discussion
After each reading, an open discussion explores the cultural context of the book — where the story takes place, the traditions shown, and how they compare to the children's own backgrounds.
Community Connection
Children are encouraged to share the stories with their families, extending the conversation beyond the classroom and strengthening the bridge between school and home culture.
What This Program Means to Me
The personal motivation behind the work
"Growing up between two cultures taught me that the greatest barrier to understanding someone else is simply never having heard their story. Books fix that."
Literacy as Liberation
Reading opens doors — to knowledge, opportunity, and empathy. Every child deserves access to stories that reflect their world.
Service Before Career
Engineering can change the world, but community service changes people. Both matter — and both inform how I approach problems.
STEM Meets the Humanities
The same drive that pushes me to build aerospace systems also pushes me to build communities. Technical skill is most powerful when paired with human empathy.