The “3rd Grade Benchmark,” is indicative of future success a child will have in school. It was a benchmark that I missed. Living in poverty during my 2nd grade year, we struggled with access to basic necessities of life, including books. I never dreamed that someone like me could one day attend college, much less write a book, or compete for Miss Texas. My father came into this country with a Spanish-English dictionary and struggled to learn English as a second language. The literacy journey happened generationally for my family, but now I am proud to say I am living the American dream.

Authoring Life expands upon work that began in an elementary classroom in 2019 to address the rising illiteracy rates in the state of Texas. Today, only four out of ten Texas students can read at their grade level by third grade. Low-income, students of color, and English language learners struggle even more. It’s inexcusable. It’s also changeable. Research shows that early intervention is key to ending the epidemic of illiteracy. Madi is on a mission to ensure that every child, regardless of zip code, has the opportunity to acquire the literacy skills and books they need to become all they were created to be.