Student holds book drive for Boys and Girls Club

Our goal in the College of Education and Human Development is to give students hands-on experience to go into the world and make a difference. Rachel Newton is doing just that.

Newton, a senior education major, recently started a book drive to supply local students in the Boys and Girls Club with books. She partnered with the Fade to Black Dance Ensemble at Texas A&M, where she is a member, for the community service project.

Her focus was not just gathering all available books – she wanted to find books that celebrate different cultures and identities.

“I always knew reading and providing children with books was important, but I was not informed about the reality of the lack of diversity in literature,” said Newton.

Newton learned more about the reality in her Multicultural and Interdisciplinary Literature for Middle Grades course taught by Ambyr Rios.

“Through her inspiring lessons, she helped me and other students learn why representation is so essential in the classroom and how we can use it to uplift others,” said Newton. “Now I am very enthusiastic about making sure children see their own lives reflected in literature and history.”

Through the book drive, Newton collected more than 50 books that she donated to the Boys and Girls Club. While the official book drive is over, she is still collecting books to donate and hopes others in the community will follow suit.

“Developing a more knowledgeable and compassionate generation is always the goal and this book drive is just a small way I can help the community.”

After graduation, Newton plans to teach middle school language arts and social studies. Her goal is to teach Texas history with an emphasis on minority experiences.

“I will apply what I have learned about representation when I choose books for my classroom, covering history from different perspectives and, hopefully one day, leading others as a principal,” said Newton.

If you are interested in donating, contact Newton at mackenziern@tamu.edu.