Whether through reading, writing, or sharing knowledge, our team embraces the power of words in both work and daily life. This quarter, our CARES program focus is literacy, highlighting its importance in personal growth, professional success, and community impact.

In this FedFeature, we’re shining a light on how our team members express their passion for literacy, from favorite books and writing habits to community involvement and more. Read on to see how FedWriters keeps the love of words alive!

Personal Growth

• Every year at some point I get the call from each of my three elementary school-aged grandchildren. “Grandpa, the Scholastic book fair is this week. Will you buy me a book?” Before they can finish asking, I’ve deposited money into their online book fair accounts. This is how I show literacy some love – by showing my grandchildren some storybook love.

  And as they grow older the stories are changing. We’re drifting away from Golden Books, and monster standards like The Monster at the End of This Book – spoiler alert, it’s Grover – and moving toward classics like the Harry Potter series. (My childhood book fair favorites: Caps for Sale, popularized by Captain Kangaroo, and Tiki-Tiki-Tembo about the little boy with the long name I still can recite after more than 50 years!) – Jim B.

 

• With these annual gestures of family love I figure I’m also doing my part to ensure the future of FedWriters. Our job is to communicate the business of government, so we better make sure the next generation of employees is literate. Not saying my grandchildren will be knocking on Mitchell’s door someday, but at least they will be qualified.

  As a librarian I obviously have a deep love of literacy and reading. But, like everyone, I’m often pulled in a lot of different directions and diving back into a longer book can sometimes feel like a time and cognitive luxury I don’t have when I am trying to balance the rest of my life after a particularly hectic workday. I like having books of poetry or inspiring short pieces of writing – or even quotes – handy so I can still take a short, meditative reading break. I’m often inspired to read more after that. – Sarah H.

 

• My literacy journey has been rocky and uphill. I’ve always loved to read, but my fine motor skills were slow to develop, and I grew to hate writing and especially in cursive. I got through high school and college without ever taking an English class and landed my first job out of Engineering School in “Publish or Perish.” Once I got proficient with typing on a computer, I outgrew my hatred of writing.

  Technical writing is just something I do, whenever I have a technical story to tell that might be useful to someone else. (I have a backlog of topics in mind.) I’m a published author of more than 70 in the career bibliography. I currently have two technical abstracts submitted for the SNAME conference in October. I’m also working with them on publishing another textbook on ocean wave mechanics.

  My reading is split between science stuff like Bryan Sykes books “The Seven Daughters of Eve.” Or Steven Jay Goulds works on Paleontology. I switch off with fiction. My Favorites are Dr. Deborah Harkness’s “Discovery of Witches” series. I’m currently reading Sarah Maas, “Court of Thorns series.” – Sean K.

 

• Surround yourself with physical books; check out books even if you think you won’t have the time to finish them; mix with audiobooks. Sign up for newsletters of interest to you and turn on notifications; pick one or two that are most interesting to you. – Samar M.

 

• I’ve been a voracious reader since I was a child. I would gobble books up daily and often re-read favorites. As an adult, I started listening to audiobooks I checked out from the library on road trips home when I was in college to help the time pass. Once things moved into the digital age and I could download books onto my phone directly from the library, I started listening during my everyday tasks. It can be hard to find time to sit with a physical book and I find it soothing while feeding my curious brain at the same time. Often, I will get a copy of the book and vacillate between listening and reading depending on my schedule.

  The books I’ve enjoyed the most recently were Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir and the Beartown trilogy by Fredrik Backman. The first was much lighter than the latter two but all were excellently written and read.

  That said, if I try an audiobook and the reader isn’t doing it for me, I’ll stop listening quickly and find an alternate. If it’s a book I really want to read, I’ll wait until I have time to physically crack it open and enjoy! – Heather M.

 

• During my childhood in India, we used to learn 3 languages in school, the mother tongue (Malayalam), National language (Hindi), and English.

  At that time, elementary school kids used to get 2 lined and 4 lined notebooks from the school, called ‘copy books.’ 2 lined books for the first two languages and 4 lined notebooks for English. It was a daily homework for kids to write one page of each language in the corresponding copy book and submit to the class teacher every morning.

  The copy writing practice starts with the alphabet in each language, next to words and then to sentences. The class teacher will check the handwriting, alignment of letters, spelling mistakes, spacing between words and correct them every day.

  From my experience this practice improves the kids’ focus, observation, leads to better handwriting and writing skills. In this digital world I believe this practice will bring children closer to letters and language. – Rasmi N.

 

• A few ways I show some love to literacy: I wrote a story with my niece through email. I started with a paragraph and she followed and so on. We never finished it but it fed her love of writing (as well as our closeness).

  I enhance my passion for words through a daily vocabulary email, and enjoy mishap humor (I get a kick out of how a misplaced word, placement of text, or wrong punctuation can completely change the intent of a sentence or headline. I use these sometimes in presentations about the importance of editing). – Debra R.

 

• When I relocated a few years ago from a region with access to an extensive library system, I found myself in a rural community with two local libraries, both offering smaller catalogs and fewer library-sponsored programs. To bridge this gap, I subscribed to a major city library for a small annual fee, gaining access to its vast and diverse resources. Many libraries nationwide—including Fairfax County Public Library (Virginia), New York Public Library, Los Angeles Public Library, Boston Public Library, and New Orleans Public Library (the one I access)–offer non-resident cards and remote access for a limited fee, providing a valuable option for those seeking broader access to library materials and programs. – Susanne S.

 

• Fun fact about me, I wasn’t always a reader. I spent most of my childhood convinced I wasn’t even smart enough to enjoy books. I attended a small Catholic school where, no matter how hard I tried, I was a C student at best. One day, a nun told me, “Oh sweetie, some kids are smart, and some kids… just aren’t.” That was the moment I stopped trying. I believed that reading, learning, and being “smart” just weren’t for me. I didn’t really care, as my goal was to join the military after high school.

  It wasn’t until I transferred to a public high school that my English teacher recognized I was severely dyslexic—a discovery that changed everything. With the right interventions, I learned to read properly for the first time and started to excel in school. I even went on to study mathematics in college, something I never thought possible.

  Although I overcame my reading struggles, I still feared books, and definitely never chose to read for fun. That is, until 2019, when a friend dragged me to her book club. The first book I ever truly read cover to cover was Where the Crawdads Sing, and it was magical. (I’m not exaggerating either – I was in my 30s when I read an entire book all by myself!) I was hooked. From that moment on, I devoured books. I began setting personal reading challenges, pushing myself to read 100 books a year, across 25 different genres and topics.

  To me, literacy isn’t just about reading words on a page… it’s about challenging assumptions and finding joy in learning. – Kristyn S.

Professional Success

• This is my promotion of literacy in addition to always sharing book recommendations with those I know who are avid readers like myself or as encouragement to read. I have a book grab set up outside of my cubicle. With enough books slated for the home library I long planned for when I purchase a home, giving some of the latest books I read away is a good move.

  I am also a member of a reading group, started by a few ladies last year when we all participated in the Reading in October challenge last year for the American Cancer Society.

  The American Cancer Society fundraising challenge is raising funds through virtual Facebook challenges to help fund a future free from cancer. “Read Every Day in October” is the challenge I am participating in. – LaShawn L.

Community Impact

• As a former elementary school librarian, I witnessed firsthand the magic of books in children’s lives. My own children’s varying reading interests, including one child who faces dyslexia, taught me the importance of finding the right books for each child. This requires having a selection to choose from. Nothing discourages reading more than forcing a child to read something they don’t enjoy.

  Educators all know that having books at home greatly boosts academic success, especially if it starts early. Still, I was stunned to discover how many of the kids I saw every day had no books of their own at home. This realization inspired me to hold the first annual “Fall in Love with Reading” Literacy Night at our Child Development Center.

  A church group generously contributed funds, allowing me to open a Scholastic FACE (Family and Community Engagement) account and purchase hundreds of discounted books. Our local library joined the event by hosting story time for the kids, sharing resources with parents about available programs, and even issuing library cards on the spot (kids included!). Each child chose one free book at the door and then earned tickets for additional books by playing various games. After seeing such a great turnout the first year, we started holding the preschool’s Scholastic Book Fair during the event. It does surprisingly well (even though it is right beside the free books), and we used those proceeds to purchase more books for the classrooms.

  Even though I’m no longer working in education, I still organize the “Fall in Love with Reading” night. It is now in its fifth year, larger than ever, and it feels amazing to know we have put thousands of books into the hands of children in our community!

  Side note: The most rewarding benefit for me was that one of the librarians at the very first event showed my dyslexic daughter a simple but life-changing trick: checking out audiobooks on her phone and following along in a printed version at the same time. It worked wonders for her reading skills and confidence! All this to say, it’s a lot easier to start a program in your community than most people think, and it’s totally worth it! – Sarah G.

 

• Libraries usually need tutors for after-school literacy programs. I volunteered on and off at my local libraries for their ESL adult literacy classes since high school. Read around people to encourage others, especially kids. Recommend good reads and gift books. Visit a used bookstore and donate old books to neighborhood libraries! – Samar M.

 

• I’ve got a few ways I’ve used my passion for communication through words to help others.

  I created and ran a story-making program at a low-income children’s after-care program. We would sit in a circle and I would start with one sentence intended to create a story. The child next to me would then have to add a sentence and so on. Got lots of laughter as the story went in many different directions. If a child made a grammar faux pas I would simply repeat the sentence correctly. – Debra R.
  

Keeping the Love of Literacy Alive

From turning the pages of a favorite book to crafting stories of their own, FedWriters employees showcase their passion for literacy in countless ways. As we highlight this focus in our CARES program this quarter, we’re reminded that a love for reading and writing isn’t just a personal passion—it’s a way to uplift others. Many of our team members give back by volunteering in literacy programs, donating books, mentoring aspiring writers, or supporting community initiatives that promote education and accessibility. Whether through professional work or personal involvement, our team continues to celebrate the written word and its power to connect, educate, and inspire.

To our team members who shared their input for this feature: thank you! Your passion for literacy helps strengthen not only our workplace but also the communities we serve.

Keep inspiring, keep sharing, and keep turning the page toward a more literate world.