The Program

Founded in 2015, Albion’s Big Read is a program made of love – love of reading, love of young people, love of Albion, MI.

We operate on the basic principle that people love to do things that bring them joy. Unfortunately, many kids in our community – like many kids in our country – don’t love reading in large measure because their reading lives have been fairly joyless. They associate reading with boredom, not fun; with isolation, not community; with school, not life.

That is why Albion’s Big Read creates a context of joy in which young people experience the relevance and community-making power of books. We do that by way of our Big Read Youth Leadership Program, a summer program that brings Albion 8th-10th graders to Albion College where they read, eat, laugh, talk, make art, take risks, and – here’s the kicker – learn to lead discussions about books.

 Then every October (our Big Read month), our leaders bring their joy at reading into our community. How? They lead community-wide discussions of that year’s Big Read book. Those discussions anchor a month of rich, book-based programming that has impacted many thousands of local people since the program’s inception.

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Rita Williams-Garcia's One Crazy Summer is novel about three sisters who fly across the country in 1968 to spend the summer with their mother in Oakland, CA. They have big adventures, and they learn a bunch – about who their mom is and why she left, who the Black Panthers are and how they are supporting the community, and about how to stand up for who they are and what they believe. One Crazy Summer will get us thinking about family, justice, racism, first crushes, sister fights, and kinds of pressures oldest daughters feel to take care of their younger siblings.

Meet Albion’s 2024 Team

Big Read Leaders

Albion’s Big Read Leaders are rising 8th, 9th, and 10th graders who call Albion their home. They spend their summer reading our Big Read book – this year, Rita William-Garcia’s One Crazy Summer. Then they take their love of that book out into the community by leading community-wide discussions of it. They are the beating heart of Albion’s Big Read, and everything good and beautiful about this program

comes from them. We are thankful for and celebrate our 2024 Big Read Leaders:

Linds Allen*

Maliyah Anglin*

Amatio Atchison*

Aniya Evans*

Marcus Gill*

Derrell Jackson*

DJ Jackson

De'Andre Jones*

* denotes leaders who have participated in Albion’s Big Read for more than one year

Ambassadors

The Big Read Ambassadors are veterans of Albion’s Big Read Youth Leadership Program. You can identify Big Read Ambassadors by the bright red or blue shirt featuring logos from past Big Reads on the front and the conversation starter—“Ask me about Albion’s Big Read!”—on the back. So if you see young folks wearing a Big Read Ambassadors shirt, just follow the instructions and ask them about Albion’s Big Read. You’ll be glad you did!

Albion’s Big Read Ambassadors:

Akaiia Ridley

Stephanie Sobaski
Fred Steward
Ja’Kobe Steward
Ta’Jyanna Steward
Belevia Stovall
Shi’Terriona Straham
Terek Straham
Lauren VanVleet
Lay Lay Robinson
Malena Solis
Ian Lee
Ihaja Metz
Cedriana March
Ella Latimore
Dacarius Melton
Ana Metz
Marshall Nicholson
Aaliyah Roberts
Nasir Williams

College Volunteers

Albion’s Big Read Youth Leadership Program would not be possible without our College Volunteers (CVs). Our CVs are Albion College students and recent alums who create the environment where all our leaders are valued and seen. They listen and laugh. They play and remember. They show up and give out of their minds, bodies, and spirits. We are deeply thankful for the work they do.

Kelvin Crone-Willis*

Kyndall Lewis%

Breanna Ridley%

Malena Solis*#%

Yasmeen Azookari

Autumn Robinson

* denotes students who returned as a College Volunteer for another year

# denotes a College Volunteer who is also a Big Read Ambassador
% denotes an A.L.B.I.O.N. Fellow

Albion’s Big Read: The Planning Committee, Donors, and Partners

PLANNING COMMITTEE

Made up of college and community leaders, our planning committee works throughout the year. Most notably, these individuals choose the Big Read book, collaborate with local partners, and further the progress of Albion's current and future Big Reads. We would like to thank the members of the 2024 Planning Committee for their steadfast support.

Elijah Armstrong

Kimberly Frick Arndts

Nels Christensen, Wingman

Mandy Dubiel

Mae Ola Dunklin

Ebony Gill

DONORS

We would like to wholeheartedly thank our generous supporters. Albion's 2024 Big Read is made possible by the support of the following amazing organizations and individuals. Click the green text of the donors below to learn more.
* denotes donors who have supported more than one Big Read

Barbara Weiskittel*

Paul T. and Mary Louise Mielke*

Tonya and Jim Arnett

The HafRob Family

The Robovans*

Rosemary Smith Zander

PAST DONORS

Albion’s Big Read is deeply grateful for the incredible generosity of these marvelous organizations and individuals, which makes doing the good work possible.
*denotes donors who have supported more than one Big Read

Catherine Fontana
Albion Rotary Club
The Linda Kochinski Fund*
Team 1 Plastics*
Parks Drug Store
Caster Concepts
Albion College History Department*
Marshall Community Foundation*
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church
Lubaway Masten and Co.
Gerald and Eddie Williams*
John and Kathryn Fitzsimmons
Conrad and Peggy Sindt
John and Susan Cease
Ed and Ginnie Edwardson
American Association of University Women, Albion branch
Joyce Ferguson*
NAACP, Albion Brach
Vivian Davis
Albion College Office of the Provost*
The Franke Center
Dr. James L. Curtis
John and Mardie Roberts*
Lewis Chapel AME Church*

National Endowment for the Arts*

Kristen Roberts

PARTNERS

Our partners are local individuals, organizations, and businesses who donate time and energy to Albion’s Big Read. They support our program from behind the scenes by hosting book discussions, sharing space and resources, and much more. We joyfully thank them!

• Marshall Public Schools

• Albion Branch NAACP

• The Bohm Theater

• Psi Kappa Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.