A North Texas Girl Scout is getting high school students interested in books again with her award-winning idea. She's this week's KRLD Difference Maker.
Seventeen year-old Sofiaenid Rodney-Hernandez, who is a Junior at Hillcrest High School, says books changed her life.
"Books helped me improve a lot in life and in school," Sofiaenid said. "Way back when I wasn't reading as much as I should have been, I wasn't doing well in school. After my mom introduced books to me, I just started to reading everyday and after that I just started doing way better in school. My speech and vocabulary improved a lot."
Coming from Puerto Rico and speaking only Spanish, books helped her learn English.
Sofiaenid has been a Girl Scout since second grade and as a Junior was able to participate to win the Girl Scout Gold Award, one of the most prestigious awards that the Girl Scouts gives.
As part of the project for the Girl Scouts, Sofiaenid is hoping she can help others.
"Throughout the years I've noticed that literacy and books has been declining because of technology," she said.
She was looking for a way to connect students with books.
"I chose books from around the world. I painted book spines on the lockers. There is also a QR code on the top right corner so that, if, because of the art, they're interested they could scan the QR code and it will take them to the author's biography, or the library catalog or the Dallas ISD ebook website," Sofiaenid said proudly.
Not only did she win the prestigious Gold Award from the Girl Scouts and reaction to her project has been positive. She says as she painted lockers, people would often stop to ask about what she painting and then ask about the book. Sofiaenid would direct them to click on the QR code and check out the book themselves.
"It makes me feel really fulfilled and happy because if I was able to do this small thing for people in my community, my age....I don't know...I just feel really accomplished," Sofiaenid said. "If it could help me, it could help others."
We're proud to call Sofiaenid Rodney-Hernandez this week's KRLD Difference Maker.
If you know someone making a difference in the community, send us an email at differencemaker@krld.com.
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