We’re excited to continue our long-standing connection with Duke University by welcoming two outstanding summer interns: Helen Cooper and Jasmin Riley. They both are talented and eager to make an impact during their time with Raising a Reader MA until mid-July.
Learn more about them by reading their bios:
Hellen Cooper
Hello! My name is Helen Cooper and I am a rising junior at Duke University. I am originally from Alexandria, VA (about 10 minutes away from DC), but am extremely excited to spend the summer in Boston interning at Raising a Reader. I am studying psychology and nursing, and am aspiring Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. In my free time, I enjoy doing all kinds of exercise (weightlifting, figure skating, and running the most), trying out new food spots, and doing easy hands-on activities, such as embroidery, coloring, and other crafts. My favorite books include The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo and Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah; this summer I am trying to tackle A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. As someone who wants to work specifically with adolescents and young teens within healthcare, Raising a Reader’s unique system-level approaches and grassroots
solutions for early literacy building align greatly with the type of long-lasting care I hope to provide in the future. RAR-MA’s emphasis on giving children and their families the tools to help create change themselves – and not just a “one and done” project – is an essential part of allowing children to grow beyond the classroom, encouraging stronger relationships with their caregivers and others around them, and setting them up for an overall healthier life, academically, socially, and mentally.
Jasmin Riley
My name is Jasmin Riley, and I am a rising junior working towards my Bachelors in Psychology with an Education minor, as well as my Documentary Certificate. My favorite books from when I was a child were the Rainbow Magic book series.
From a young age, I discovered the joys of reading, which shaped my imagination and creativity. Having moments of reading with my family empowered me as a reader and instilled in me a sense of confidence and capability as a student. In elementary school, I would skip recess to visit my little sister’s class and read books aloud to the first graders. However, I recognize that not all families have had such enriching opportunities, and this realization has fueled my passion for empowering young minds through education and access to literature. I am excited to contribute to Raising a Reader MA’s mission of promoting family engagement and developing children’s language and reading readiness skills. I am looking forward to learning from their knowledgeable team and working toward providing invaluable resources and expanding their reach to touch more young lives.