Meet Cc: R2S' New Office Manager and Executive Assistant

We are thrilled to welcome our newest team member Cc to the R2S family. Learn a little bit more about her in our quick Q&A below:

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself and your role at Read 2 Succeed?
Hey y’all! My name is Cc and I’m the Office Manager and Executive Assistant to the Co-Executive Directors at R2S. In this role, I help support the day-to-day operations of the organization while working closely with leadership to keep things running smoothly. I’m someone who’s always been deeply curious about the stories people carry and investing in community care, so I’m beyond grateful to be part of a team that’s deeply committed to youth literacy and educational equity. 

2. How did reading or literacy shape your childhood or early life?
Reading has always been a doorway for me to expand both my imagination and my understanding of others. Since I was a child, books have given me access to different perspectives and cultures beyond my immediate world. Reading a variety of books while growing up helped me develop a deeper sense of empathy and curiosity, while also offering me comfort and an escape when I needed it most. Even now, reading continues to be a way I reconnect with myself and inspires me to keep growing.

3. What was your favorite book as a child, and do you have a favorite now?
As a child, my favorite book was a mystery story called The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. I was drawn to its unique voice and writing style, and it helped me understand the world through someone else’s lens, while also deeply relating to the narrator. Today, my favorite book is Of Water and the Spirit. I was introduced to this book by a beloved yoga teacher and the story speaks to me on a more spiritual level. Each time I pick this book up, it feels less like reading and more like I’m being guided through a journey of Malidoma’s ancestral remembering. The author’s intuition and words serve as a light on my path as I continue exploring my own ancestral roots and sense of purpose in this lifetime. 

4. What inspired you to join Read 2 Succeed and work in youth literacy?
My inspiration comes from both my family and my lived experience. I come from a family of educators, many of whom worked in adolescent special education, and they instilled in me the importance of education from a young age. As a first-generation Latine student, I’ve also seen firsthand how access, or lack of access, to educational resources can shape a child’s future. Being part of R2S allows me to support work that directly addresses these gaps while uplifting children in meaningful ways, and being able to support this work while learning from such thoughtful, inspiring folks is a blessing. 

5. What are you most excited to contribute to our community and team?
I’m most excited to bring my childlike curiosity and background in mutual aid into this work. I’ve always loved learning alongside others, and being part of a team that’s actively exploring new ways to support children feels deeply meaningful to me. I’m especially excited to continue growing as an advocate for children’s literacy by supporting them not just in learning to read, but in building confidence and joy through education.

6. How do you spend your time outside of work-hobbies, passions, or small joys?
In my free time, I love exploring my creativity and connection to the natural world. I enjoy volunteering with Aflorar, a local herbalism mutual aid collective, foraging and gardening, creating nature inspired art prints and jewelry, learning to sew, reading about holistic and spiritual practices, and most of all, dancing! I’m happiest when I’m outdoors, working with my hands, or immersed in music, whether that’s at a local show or a festival with friends. I’m also a certified yoga teacher with over 300 hours of training. My training was unique and strongly focused on social justice, decolonization, inclusivity, meditation, sound healing and breathwork, which deeply inform how I move through the world both on and off the mat. 

7. What do you love most about our local community (Asheville or surrounding area)
I was drawn to WNC in college and instantly felt more at home here than I ever have elsewhere. One of my favorite things about Asheville is the close connection to nature and the way most people live in reciprocity with the land. I love hiking with my partner and our dog, discovering new places to eat, and embracing the strong sense of creativity and care that exists here.

8. If you could recommend one book to our staff, students, or community, what would it be and why?
I would honestly recommend Of Water and the Spirit by Malidoma Patrice Somé; although it is a book rooted in spirituality, it does a beautiful job at exploring themes of colonization, magic, belonging, and African culture that I believe every Westerner could learn from. It’s also just one of those stories that captivates you and pulls you into a new world, so both non-fiction and fiction lovers would enjoy it.