Meet Alicia Winsor-Contreras, a (fairly) new Reading Buddy who has quickly adapted to our program and found love in our mission. Alicia became a Reading Buddy in 2019 during her junior year of college when SAYL caught her eye. Her passion for being a Reading Buddy sparks from her personal experience as a kid. “From a young age, I have always loved helping people. I found SAYL to be a perfect opportunity to help those who are struggling with reading. When I was in grade school, I had the most difficult time with the subject of math, but I never forgot the teachers and tutors who helped me along the way. I wanted to be that person for the students who are part of SAYL – to give them not only a sense of hope but inspiration!” says Alicia.
When SAYL began the recruitment process after being at a standstill throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Alicia was one of the first volunteers to sign up and safely return into the school setting. She is a firm believer that, “Reading develops more than just vocabulary and writing skills, it allows a child to understand various emotions...reading helps the child associate their feelings with words and to find new ways to express themselves.”
It is volunteers like Alicia that allow San Antonio Youth Literacy to keep persevering, have hope in dark times, and the reason we are moving the needle on reading levels in San Antonio, Texas.
Alicia— we cannot say thank you enough!
