Read to Respond was born when Rebecca Yang, our founder, had the idea to combine two of her passions: volunteering and literature. We were originally founded as a school club, centered around bringing students together to discuss literary works and then volunteer based on the themes in the pieces. Throughout our freshman and sophomore years, we partnered with local organizations to strengthen our nearby community. As more of our members transformed from readers into agents of change, we were inspired to expand our mission beyond our campus. We realized that while members of our club had the privilege of having access to education and books, many students around the world didn’t. As a way to give back to the community, Read to Respond now aims not only to cultivate a love of reading around the world, but also to promote English literacy and build a connected, global community.