This article was written by BenitoLink intern Jessica Parga. Lea este artículo en español aquí.
Dr. Gregory A. Spencer, VP of Footsteps2Brilliance, said that growing up in Oakland as a child who couldn’t read or write made him vulnerable to recruitment by gangs and that he was a gang member at the age of nine. Through his experience, he learned one of the main things gangs look for in recruits is illiteracy. He said his goal is for families to take ownership of education in their homes to empower young students.
Spencer’s organization provides literacy tools for children, focusing on engaging families in reading together. The Footsteps2Brilliance apps are available county-wide and free for any child from birth to third grade.
On Jan. 23, students and teachers gathered at Veterans Memorial Building to receive awards for reading done through Footsteps2Brilliance. This year, awards were also given to students with outstanding math literacy. The event included roundtable sessions for the nearly 180 parents and faculty attending. The discussions were led by experts and included topics such as math activities parents can practice at home and ways teachers can create encouraging environments for multilingual learners.
Erik Calderon, a third grader from Spring Grove, attended the event to receive one of the Student Literacy Awards. Calderon was beaming as he held up his plaque. His mom, Mayra Fuentes, told BenitoLink how proud she is of Erik, as he’s learning with a speech delay and other physical challenges.
On receiving the award, she said she can tell how excited her son is to be acknowledged. “I can tell on his face he’s like ‘Oh that’s me. Wow!’ and I feel like that probably is going to encourage him in reading” Fuentes said.
One of the benefits of the Footsteps2Brilliance online platform is that it is able to keep track of the number of words that a student is reading. Students at the event were acknowledged for the amount of reading they had accomplished.
Spencer said that literacy is important to keep kids engaged in school and to ensure a bright future. Emphasizing the importance of a child’s relationship with their family, Spencer reminded the crowd in a call-and-response: “It’s not about you. It’s not about me. It’s all about our children.”
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Estelle Marquez stands with fellow students as they are recognized for their exemplary work in math literacy. Photo by Jessica Parga ![]()
Jodi Amaditz, left, and Chantel Touryan-Schaefer, center, lead a roundtable on supporting leaders. Photo by Jessica Parga ![]()
Educators and parents attend a roundtable session about teaching multilingual students. Photo by Jessica Parga ![]()
Dr. Gregory A. Spencer talks about the importance of literacy in the home on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. Photo by Jessica Parga ![]()
Paula Diaz looks over at her son, Santiago, as he holds his new plaque celebrating his literacy achievement. Photo by Jessica Parga
New this year are the awards for math literacy. Estelle Marquez, a seventh grade student at Rancho San Justo Middle School, was nominated by her teacher, Kylee Cortez, for her outstanding performance. Marquez said she looks forward to continuing her time in the Associated Student Body (ASB) in high school and hopes to study Zoology at UC Davis in the future.
Marquez’s parents shared that their daughter keeps surprising them with all her awards and achievements. “She’s in ASB right now [and] she just joined sports,” said her dad, Alan Marquez. “She’s the commissioner of athletics. We couldn’t be any more proud.”
The BenitoLink Internship Program is a paid, skill-building program that prepares local youth for a professional career. This program is supported by Monterey Peninsula Foundation AT&T Golf Tour, United Way, Taylor Farms and the Emma Bowen Foundation.
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