During Covid, Ryana was exposed to the world of online reading, with millions of books that she could spend hours scrolling through. She started 'Rise and Read', a program where kids could read (or learn to read) with her and explore literary games online. She taught classes of about 15 kids, some from different continents, and continued sessions across the summer. The founder of the Shared Shelf, Ryana plans to expand her goal of getting books for all by running the Shared Shelf and connecting it to a myriad of children and organizations.

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Aanya has always had a strong passion for art and reading since childhood. Her fascination with literature began at the age of 8 when she first developed her obsession with reading. Along the way, she’s shared her creativity with others, from teaching her class to create fun crafts over Zoom during Covid, to more recently, volunteering with younger kids to help them create pet toys to distribute to animal shelters. As a co-founder of Shared Shelf, Aanya hopes to help organize events that aim to inspire kids to explore their creativity and develop a love for reading.

Anisha has been an enthusiastic reader since elementary school, ever since she discovered her local library was just a short walk away. Since then, her summers have been fueled by books and a deep passion for learning. Over the years, Anisha, also an active singer, has helped to organize and perform at numerous volunteer concerts, enthusiastically working with adults and children of all ages. This year, she is looking forward to combining her passion of helping others with her long-standing passion of reading. Through her role in the Shared Shelf, Anisha is excited to give back to her community by sharing the invaluable love of reading!