Local teenager, Abbey Pross, has found joy in reading and learn­ing, and now she shares an even greater joy in giving back.

14-year-old Abbey has been involved with The Smith Fam­ily for around two years as a participant in their educational programs. The Smith Family’s peer-based reading program Student2Student helped Abbey regain confidence in her literacy and communication skills.

“The books started off easy but got harder as I moved up levels,” says Abbey. “My teachers told me they could see my reading had really improved over time.” Abbey’s mum, Joanne, said she’s incredibly proud of how far her daughter has come. “Learning wasn’t always easy for Abbey. She was born with a mild intel­lectual disability and was behind in many subjects,” says Joanne. With a new-found confidence in reading, Abbey wanted to help other kids develop their litera­cy skills. “Knowing how much it helped me made me want to donate my own books so other kids could read, learn and enjoy them,” says Abbey.

The year eight student has donat­ed her books to The Smith Fami­ly to share the joy of reading and to give back to other children in need. Congratulations to Abbey on her reading achievements, as well as helping others.