Sarajane Beal Volunteer Excellence Award
Jessica Young, 2006
Page Ahead was pleased to present Jessica Young with the annual Sarajane Beal Award for Volunteer Excellence at the August meeting of the board of directors. Jessica began her service to Page Ahead in 2003 an AmeriCorps member. After her AmeriCorps term ended, she continued to volunteer her time at Page Ahead.
While her generosity and talents are endless, the staff at Page Ahead is particularly thankful that Jessica shares her technological skills, positive attitude, and infectious laugh with us. Thank you, Jessica!
Mary Jo Bruckner, 2005
Mary Jo Bruckner received the annual Sarajane Beal Award for Volunteer Excellence at the January meeting of the board of directors. Mary Jo (pictured here with Executive Director, Sam Whiting) served on Page Ahead’s board until last year and is still active as a volunteer. Mary Jo is also quite involved in her community on Mercer Island: as a parent, a speech pathologist, and a volunteer. Her ability to work hard, commitment to living a balanced life, and dedication to improving the lives of others are inspiring. During her board tenure she spearheaded the effort to create our signature fundraising event, A Taste for Reading. Each year it has been held, fundraising goals have been surpassed by at least 10%. This year’s event was on April 6th at the Triple Door in downtown Seattle.
Elizabeth Ruskauff, 2004
I had my first experience with books written specifically for young people at the age of 14. I was babysitting and stumbled upon the "Cherry Ames" series in which the heroic nurse saves the day. Inevitably I was led to the Nancy Drew mysteries. These were easy reads, and I was done in a flash. Of course, I wanted more. More wasn't easy to come by in the small town in Wisconsin where I grew up. There was no bookstore. My school had no library. My education was "no frills," and I found textbooks dull.
That scarcity may account for my love of language, especially as used by Shakespeare. I was captivated by the language of his plays. Rich, layered, full of nuance and humor. I also love Jane Austen; the way she uses language to paint pictures and define characters. You practically feel their presence.
I received my primary school education in a world very different than the one we live in now. In the late 1930's, children received little personal attention from a teacher. Kids who could not read well were considered slow. Hinderances—poor vision, dyslexia—weren't commonly considered. There wasn't much effor to discern the special, unique interest and talents of children and to appeal to those interests through literature. I like Page Ahead's approach: supplying kids with new books and with the opportunity to choose those books.
As a young adult, I began to see touring productions of musicals. I found I had no trouble suspending disbelief. Literature and theatre are somwhat similar: in books, you see the action in your head; in theatre, you see it on stage. My life has given me lots of practice in living in my mind, which gives me an easy ability to enter the world of fiction. I have placed myself smack dab in the center of Seattle, because of access to the cultural opportunities that feed my soul. Shakespeare performed on a bare stage—what could be better? Well, perhaps cheesecake at intermission.
Calvin Haavig, 2003
Fairy Tales aren't the only place you're likely to find a wizard. Page Ahead has its own "techno-wizard." In December, Page Ahead named Calvin Haavig its Volunteer of the Year in recognition of the time and talent he contributed to managing and upgrading computer systems. While Calvin has performed these services for several years, he was especially critical to Page Ahead's successful office relocation. Calvin is a long-standing member of Page Ahead's technology committee, a group of volunteers who are committed to combining technological literacy with children's literacy.
"At a time when resources for non-profit social service organizations are short, operating as efficiently as possible is essential," said Volunteer Coordinator Jacki Crowther. "Calvin has worked long and hard to make sure Page Ahead is equipped to do just that."
Meena Cheng, 2002
Meena Change was honored for her innovative fund-raising efforts on behalf of Page Ahead. For the past five years, Cheng and her committee of dedicated volutneers have hosted "Cooks for Books," a dinner, cooking demonstration, and auction that features prominent local chefs preparing their specialties using local ingredients.
Meena is a Certified Financial Planner with more than 20 years of experience in the financial industry. She has practiced public and private accounting as a CPA and is currently an Assistant Vice President of Investments for U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray. An experienced public speaker, Meena has spoken to companies, universities, and conferences. Meena is also a culinary aficionado who has owned two restaurants and has written the popular book, "Fortune in Your Cookies," a humorous analogy between cooking and investment strategies.
Richard Wright, 2001
Richard began voluteering for Page Ahead in 1991, shortly after his wife, founding director Keltie Wright, assumed leadership of the organization. A computer systems analyst by trade, Richard put his considerable skills to work as a volunteer. With equal amounts ingenuity and determination, he single-handedly built a technology infrastructure for Page Ahead—increasing hardware from one computer to eight and introducing new software. In addition, he trained all staff and provided technical support from his home in Hawthorne Hills. His calm and level-headed approach to troubleshooting earned him the affectionate title of "one-man help desk and first-aid station."