Discover Sarah Fisher's inspiring journey from struggling with reading to creating a summer reading program, "Story Time with Sarah." Her passion for teaching and dedication to helping immigrant families thrive is truly remarkable. Learn how she made the most of her time at Eagle Hill and how she plans to expand her program and make reading a fun and interactive experience for children everywhere.
Jennifer Fisher, Sarah's mother, said: “The fact that Sarah had reading struggles and is now using that experience to make an impact and help other kids… it’s amazing. And it’s fueled her passion to be a teacher. I’m so proud of her.”
As a child, Sarah Fisher ’20 struggled to learn to read. But dyslexia didn’t stop her from starting a summer reading program, “Story Time with Sarah,” to inspire a love of reading in young children who spoke English as a second language. Nearly all were from immigrant families eager to practice English skills while working to build better lives in her community.
Fisher, you see, has set her sights on becoming a teacher. She is talkative, brims with creativity, and sprinkles her conversation with instructional tidbits like preventing the “summer slide,” and using reading skills like scooping and sounding out, and blending.
She says, “Those were the amazing skills I learned at Eagle Hill to read and comprehend.”
The last two summers, you’d find Fisher on Saturday mornings surrounded by nearly a dozen preschool children, reading them picture books and leading art activities based on the book.
It all started when Fisher reached out to the Community Resource Center in her hometown of Mamaroneck, New York, and pitched “Story Time with Sarah.” The Center embraced the idea, and soon it was posting flyers created by Sarah to invite youngsters to Story Time. It wasn’t long before Fisher was reading books like The Magic Treehouse to rapt groups of youngsters.
She continued the program for two summers, with many grateful families to show for it. But the ambitious Fisher is just getting started.
Now in the 9th grade at The Harvey School in Katonah, Fisher is forming a student club that aims to bring her program—renamed “Story Time With”—to elementary schools in the area.
And after that? Fisher’s got big plans:
“My goal is to create a website next summer with all the things I did to build ‘Story Time with Sarah’ and the club in other schools and communities. Hopefully, I can eventually make it statewide, where the program could happen in multiple schools in different districts working with immigrant, Spanish-speaking families. And my website could give ideas on how to do it.”
Ultimately, Fisher says, “I’m just trying to make reading a fun, interactive, cool thing instead of something that can be challenging for kids, especially while they’re home during the summer. Reading is something that anybody can learn and do.”
