Emily was first introduced to Classroom, Inc. by her late father, John Wilson, who was an enthusiastic founding supporter of the organization. She distinctly remembers visiting a school in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood with her father and being excited to see Parkside Hotel, one of the first learning programs, in action. Back then, middle school students were just beginning to “be the boss” in a software simulation in which students acted as a hotel manager. 

As Classroom, Inc. transitions to become Read to Lead, Emily continues to feel deeply connected to the organization’s mission to help middle school students develop their literacy and leadership skills. She has been especially inspired to see Read to Lead evolve into an impactful, digital learning platform and expand its reach among teachers and students across the country.

“I see Read to Lead as being a way to create more quality educational opportunities for kids who don’t have a lot of opportunities,” she shared. “And as a way for teachers who are overtaxed with huge classrooms to have support and resources.”

As a former middle school teacher and a mother of three, Emily understands middle school to be a time when students can feel more vulnerable and sensitive. She believes Read to Lead is a great tool to help students build confidence in themselves and in their abilities. She also appreciates that Read to Lead provides content that middle schoolers find relatable and interesting, inspiring them to cultivate a joy of reading. 

Through their dedicated support of Read to Lead, Emily and her family have helped to bring a proven learning model to over 1 million students and thousands of teachers. It is because of supporters like the Wilson Family that teachers nationwide have free access to Read to Lead and the tools they need to inspire their students to take charge of their learning and become confident readers and leaders.

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For Mary, Read to Lead’s mission deeply resonates with her experiences and brings her back to her childhood in New Jersey. She was the first female in her family to go to college, and she thought her only career choices were to become a nurse or teacher.

“I could have benefited greatly from a program like Read to Lead,” she said. “I am happy to see the young people are being introduced to a plethora of opportunities in Read to Lead. It’s important for them to know the career choices are endless and the sky’s the limit!” 

When asked what skills and traits are essential to leadership, Pat and Mary shared that in their experience, listening skills, the ability to foster community and collaboration, and adaptability are three of the most important. Through their generous, long-time support of Read to Lead, they have played a critical role in empowering students with opportunities to develop those leadership qualities. 

Pat and Mary were inspired by our founder Lewis Bernard’s vision and compassion from the very early days – when making students “the boss” was just an idea. As they look ahead, they are excited to see Read to Lead continue scaling its impact across the nation, and are also thrilled to support the development of new career worlds and learning experiences for students to explore. 

Their hope is that middle school students “come away from Read to Lead with an increased confidence, vision, and an understanding of what might be possible for them in the future.” Indeed, with their incredible generosity and commitment to Read to Lead, students can have access to windows of opportunities where they see what is possible in their future.

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