Please meet Richard Riley, our Reading Buddy of the month for February. Richard heard about the program from a fellow Reading Buddy, and as his first year to serve as a Reading Buddy at Cameron Elementary in SAISD, his passion and dedication towards his students shines out. Richard shows up early to his school each week in order to prepare for his session. He can be seen waiting in the halls for his two students to come in from recess. The students he works with are always eager to read with him and have really shown an increased love for reading thanks to Richard’s guidance. His drive to see his students improve is evident in Richard’s caring attitude and enthusiasm about the Reading Buddy Program! Richard is no stranger to SAISD. He was born and raised in the district and attended SAISD schools himself. When asked why he believes giving back and being involved in community service is important, Richard said “I can attribute my success in business to my family, the schools I attended, and the community. I owe each a great debt and I want to repay it.”After a few months of working with his students, Richard has already seen his impact on his students.“There has been improvement in their reading skills and in their ability to sound out words they are unfamiliar with. They greet me with big smiles and stories about what is going on in their lives. They wave at me in the hall and seem genuinely excited about reading with me. The teachers and administration at the school are very gracious to me. I feel blessed to be part of this well planned, very important program,” noted Richard.

Thank you, Richard for all you do, and we are also very blessed to have you as part of our Reading Buddy tribe!