An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Goodfellow Airmen read to McGill Elementary School students

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Ethan Sherwood
  • 17th Training Wing Public Affairs

Goodfellow Airmen volunteered alongside 37 San Angelo community members to read to students from McGill Elementary School Feb. 27.

Senior Airman Brianna Cash, 17th Comptroller Squadron financial analyst, and Airman 1st Class Rachel Tomlin, 17th Force Support Squadron customer support technician, were among those who read Dr. Seuss books to students and answered questions about their jobs.

“The kids love to read,” said McGill Elementary School First Grade Teacher Lynse Norman. “Especially in first grade they read to us all the time, it’s so cool to have somebody that they’re not used to. We read to them every day and they’re reading to us every day, but to see people in the community, in jobs that they might want one day, come in and read to them it just means so much.”

It takes a village to raise a child, is an African proverb that still holds true today. The community coming together to support these children, and showing them they care can have a huge impact on their lives.

The students were interactive and joyous. They leaned in and held on to every word read aloud. The looks on their faces were not easily forgotten. The impact of these interactions could go unnoticed if you aren’t looking closely, especially with older children.

“I know the older grades get just as excited as our little kids,” said Norman. “Because school gets harder as you go and you do less of the fun crafts because you have to buckle down and learn so much in such a short amount of time. It’s so much fun when they get to take a break from that and they have the community members come in and see that, especially for the big kids, that they care enough to come and read to them. I think is a big deal.”

The annual event is looked forward to by the community, the kids, and the teachers. Norman stated how the event brings the school together and gives them something to look forward to.

“Thank y’all so much for coming and doing it,” said Norman. “It really does mean a lot to us and it’s something that we, the teachers, look forward to every year. We meet in the summer and August and plan out our school year, and we always make sure that we leave time for the event.”