About Us

In the U.S., about 40% of students cannot read at a basic level, and nearly 70% of low-income fourth graders struggle with reading. An estimated 10 million children face difficulties learning to read, and I am determined to make a difference in their lives

MY STORY

I grew up with my grandmother for the first eight years of my life because my father was in jail, and my mother couldn’t care for me due to her epilepsy. School was challenging; by sixth grade, I had attended four different schools. I had a good memory and relied on memorization, but I missed out on learning phonics. By sixth grade, I was reading at a third-grade level, which my teacher, Ms. Jenkins, noticed. She dedicated extra time to help me after school every day. By the end of sixth grade, I was reading at grade level.

My experiences inspired me to help children who struggle with reading, so they can achieve success like I did. After graduating from college, I spent ten years in the business field, but for the past 18 years, I’ve worked as an ESL teacher overseas. I wanted to create something meaningful to support kids, which led me to develop my Phonics Program. My goal is to help as many children as possible succeed in life, and I believe it all starts with reading.

A Simple Life: Unraveling the Secrets of True Happiness

My grandmother could no longer care for me as she was getting older. We lived in a lake house that my grandfather had built after the Vietnam War, but he passed away a year before I was born. At that point, I entered the foster care system and was placed with my great uncle and aunt. We were as poor as could be, but I didn’t realize it—I thought I was living the best life ever.

I was in sixth grade then, and I helped out on the nearby farm, bailing hay and bringing in the cows at night for milking. During the summer, I spent my days chopping wood to prepare for the winter. The farm owner was a football coach, and that’s when I fell in love with the sport. I thought, “If life stays like this, why would anyone want to do anything else?” It truly felt like the best life.

Milking Time

We rounded up the cows after school to be milked and fed them hay.

Bale the Hay

We would bale the hay on Saturdays and then stack it in the loft of the barn. We used that hay to feed the cows throughout the winter.

Saddle the Horse

After we baled the hay and milked the cows, I could saddle up the horse and ride it across from the railroad tracks to let it run. That was always the best part of my day as a 13-year-old.