In the fall of 2023, Pender Early College High School (PECHS) teacher Olivia Springer chose to read Jeannette Walls’ book The Glass Castle with her students. Her students fell in love with the book and her story. Ms. Springer and her class decided to write letters to Jeannette Walls to share with her their thoughts about the book and even shared pictures that they drew from scenes of the book. Jeannette Walls was moved by these and even posted some of those pictures and quotes from the letters in her appreciation to Ms. Springer’s class on Facebook. Jeannette Walls wrote “these letters so brilliantly show how truly wise and insightful students can be, how reading about tough subjects can help them grapple with the challenges we all face.”
Ms. Springer then asked if she could have Jeannette Walls talk to her class, so she reached out and although it was a possibility, it did not look like it was going to happen. Thanks to the Grassroots Grant awarded to Pender County Schools, this has now become a reality. On Friday January 26, Ms. Springer and her students will finally get a chance to meet their beloved author. Jeannette Walls will be visiting the North Campus of CFCC to talk to the students of PECHS. She will also have a one on one session with her beloved class. Grants like these make the impossible possible and the students at PECHS are grateful for this opportunity and want to thank all who made this possible. Thank you!