Jacobe Davis hopes her time with two elementary students sparks a lasting love of reading.
The Texas Christian University junior volunteers weekly with Fort Worth ISD’s Reading Buddy program at Sagamore Hill Elementary. She has spent the past two years spending at least an hour with a student and reading books with them.
Davis’ work helping kids to read led to her nomination for 52 Faces of Community, the Fort Worth Report’s weekly series spotlighting unsung heroes in Tarrant County.
She currently works with a first grader. Davis acknowledged that students assigned a Reading Buddy typically aren’t inclined to read on their own.
“I hope that I’ve impacted her in a way that she actually enjoys reading and looks forward to it and finds it more fun,” Davis said.
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Welcome to 52 Faces
52 Faces of Community is a Fort Worth Report weekly series spotlighting local unsung heroes. It is sponsored by Central Market, H-E-B and JPS Health Network.
At the end of the year, these rarely recognized heroes will gather for a luncheon where the Report will announce one honoree to represent Tarrant County at the Jefferson Awards in Washington, D.C.
That’s especially important in FWISD where 2 in 3 children aren’t reading proficiently.
Davis’ Reading Buddy greets her by the front office when it’s time for them to meet. Davis signs in, sticks her visitor tag on her shirt and allows her first grader to lead the way to the library where they will pick out two or three books.
Then they find a place to sit and dig into the books.
“Most of it is me reading to her, but recently she’s been reading to me some, which has been amazing,” Davis said. “We work on her pronunciation, and she tells me about the lessons she’s learning in her English class and applies it to the book, which is so cool and really special.”
After 45 minutes, the pair read the stack of books cover to cover and do an activity. Sometimes it’s a game. Other times they draw pictures for each other. Then it’s off to lunch where Davis walks her Reading Buddy to the cafeteria.
“Then we repeat the next Wednesday,” she said.
“Because she’s so patient and encouraging, I’ve seen the students’ confidence increase.”
Laurie Malott, Sagamore Hill’s librarian
Laurie Malott, Sagamore Hill’s librarian, works closely with Davis and other Reading Buddies. Working with Davis is joyful, Malott said.
“She just brightens our day. She always has a beautiful smile, and she is just so positive,” Malott said.
Malott has watched Davis get to know her students and connect with them.
“Because she’s so patient and encouraging, I’ve seen the students’ confidence increase,” the librarian said.
At 20, Davis is among the youngest volunteers at the school. That’s an advantage for her, Malott said.
“When students look at Jacobe, they don’t see an adult. They think of her more like a teenager,” Malott said. “It’s easier for her to build connections and for the students to feel more at ease with and relate more with her.”
That isn’t lost on Davis. She said kids see her more like an older student, not an adult. Her Reading Buddy thought Davis was 16.
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“There’s a sibling feel,” Davis said. “Siblings are near and dear to my heart because I have two sisters and they’re my best friends in the whole wide world.”
Volunteering at Sagamore Hill was one way for Davis to connect and become familiar with Fort Worth. She grew up in Austin. Moving three hours north meant finding a way to become part of the community, she said.
More than that, reading at the school is a way for Davis to practice her teaching skills. She’s a double major in Spanish and Hispanic studies as well as education studies. Though she plans to attend law school after graduating from TCU, she knows exactly where she wants her career to take her: back to school.
“Becoming a teacher seems like the perfect profession,” Davis said. “Being in the classroom has never felt like work ever. I’m impacted by students. The hope is that I’m impacting students as well.”
Jacob Sanchez is education editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at jacob.sanchez@fortworthreport.org or @_jacob_sanchez.
At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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