Building Legacies Through Literacy provides scholarships for intensive reading intervention to middle and high school students reading well below grade level.

Our Mission

Empowering middle & high school students through literacy scholarships, career readiness, and family support.

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Our Values

Building Legacies Through Literacy empowers middle and high school students with scholarships and literacy support, helping low and non-readers build the skills needed for academic success, career readiness, and lifelong opportunity.

Success

Every child can experience success in learning.

Growth

Growth in learning is to be celebrated at every stage

 Support

Whole child support is necessary to success in learning

Collaboration

Parent and school collaboration is essential to the success of our learners

1 in 5 U.S. adults read below the level needed to earn a living wage, and half of unemployed 16–21-year-olds cannot read well enough to be considered functionally literate.

Source: National University,

"Adult Literacy Statistics and Facts," 2026.

Students who don't read proficiently by 3rd grade are about 4 times more likely to drop out of high school than proficient readers; students in poverty who are also poor readers are roughly 6 times more likely not to graduate on time.

Source: The Annie E. Casey Foundation, "Double Jeopardy" report.

Over 70% of people in U.S. prisons cannot read above a 4th-grade level.

Source: World Literacy Foundation, 2026.

NC public schools reported over 10,500 dropouts in a single year, with 9th grade accounting for the largest share (about a third of all dropouts) — the point at which struggling readers often disengage.

Source: NC DPI Consolidated Data Report, 2023–24 school year.

Source: World Literacy Foundation, 2026.

Our Team

We are more than a charity donation organization; we are a force fueled by compassion, committed to uplifting communities and transforming lives around the world.

Selena Waite

Founder + Executive Director

Marcus Edwards

Director of Operations

DeZyre Plummer

Board Chair

Gregory Wesley-Shanks

Treasurer

Katisha Paige

Board Member at Large

Kendall Waite

Board Member at Large

DeKyan Dennis

Marketing Chair/Board Member

Shomara Reyes

Fundraising Chair/Board Member

Camille

Board Member at Large