May 2025 Newsletter
Seeds continue to amaze me.
A gnarled pea. The wisp of a carrot. The tiny orb of a radish.
How is it that simply adding water to these compact containers of information—each containing between 61 million and 149 billion base pairs of DNA—can result in such wildly diverse and complex forms of life? It feels nothing short of miraculous.
And yet, germination is just the beginning. From there, seeds enter into an intricately choreographed relationship with their environment—responding to light, to temperature, to moisture, and to time—all that in order to drive photosynthesis and develop strategies to ensure the survival of future generations.
Children, too, require a nurturing environment to grow. But theirs is far more complex than what nature alone provides. Neither their DNA nor their physical surroundings alone determine their future. Unlike plants, young people must see and believe in the possibilities for growth before they can begin to realize their dreams.
When Root 2 Rise Tutor-Mentors enter K–5 classrooms filled with compassion and care, growth becomes not just possible—but inevitable.
At our recent end-of-year Tutor-Mentor Recognition Dinner, the mother of a Tutor-Mentor said she had hope because Root 2 Rise planted a seed in her daughter – the “love of working with kids (that) could actually open future doors. I wouldn’t have had this view into a possible future had we not had this opportunity.”
And that’s the heart of what we do.
The name Root 2 Rise reflects both our purpose and our process. We Root ourselves deeply in community—grounded in relationships, support, and shared purpose—so that 2 people Rise together: the Tutor-Mentor and each student they support, the Partner Teacher and the Tutor-Mentor, the parent and their child. Many are transformed by the experience.
Root 2 Rise nurtures young people the way sunlight, soil, and water bring seeds to life—tending not just to who they are today, but to who they are becoming.
—Denise Hanson, Founder & Executive Director
Our First-Ever Fundraising Event!
Performers and speakers at the May 13 fundraiser (clockwise, from left): Charlie Berens, Chastity Washington, Martina Sancristobal, John Berens, Joseph Thigpen, Jr., Denise Hanson.
Thanks for the humor provided by Charlie Berens, John Berens, and Chastity Washington, who buoyed spirits at our first fundraiser, Laughing For A Cause, on May 13.
We’re grateful for those who attended the event, and for the individuals and firms who donated items for the silent auction.
Special thanks to Eve and Anna Paras, the staff at the Comedy on State, event organizers Sue Robinson and her journalism students, Hana Razvi, and Kiera Paterson, and support from Mary Lang Sollinger,, Emily Wendt, and Tania Lucero.
Proceeds exceeded our expectations and will be essential in our efforts to help youth excel,. Everyone involved contributed to a cause that makes a real difference.
“If we offer young people opportunities, they will rise to the occasion.”
Back row (standing, from left): Sun Prairie Mayor Steve Stocker, Denise Hanson, Mya Patterson, Bryanna Montgomery, Markayla Moore-Young, Jalen Mckinnie, Damarquieys Jenkins, Odessa Richard, Jahad Lewis, Kenyon Miggins, Jose Ayala Santacruz.
Front (from left):Joanna Vazquez, Alexus Palacios, Coralie Adkins, Lizzi Park, Sophia Gille.
Denise Hanson reiterated this core Root 2 Rise principle at a May 15th event celebrating Tutor-Mentors in the Sun Prairie, Marshall, and DeForest school districts.
Participants in and supporters of the program agreed. A common adjective used when describing the results: “Amazing,”
Cynthia Bell Jimenez, principal of Meadow View Elementary School, said Root 2 Rise was “a win-win-win situation for everyone. It builds everyone up.”
Tutor-Mentors cited personal growth and the joy they found in helping younger students. Partner-Teachers welcomed the help and said it increased students’ enthusiasm for learning.
“I learned that I’m more of a person than I thought,” said Tudor-Mentor Jahad Lewis.
“It reminds high school students why they love learning,” said Dacia Giordana, the coordinator at Meadow View Elementary School for three years.
Sun Prairie Mayor Steve Stocker encouraged supporters to contact school boards and urge them to implement this “great program.”
“I wish I could work with Root 2 Rise all day,” said Tutor-Mentor Sophia Gille, who is now even more determined to become a teacher.
Celebrating a Successful Year at Reynolds Learning Academy
From left: Naveah Austin, Tatian aVillups, Sidney Armenta, Vivana Martinez Ruiz, Ashley Sanchez, Maureen Geraghty, Zanay Ligons, Alaina King, and Joel Brambila Unbe. Right: Naveah Austin.
Thirty-two students at Reynolds Learning Academy (near Portland, Oregon) participated in Root 2 Rise last year, helping students and teachers in three elementary schools.
“There has been nothing but positive and encouraging feedback for the Root 2 Rise program throughout the entire district,” said Coordinator Maureen Geraghty,
To celebrate a successful year, Tutor-Mentors participated in a ropes and team-building course at the YMCA’s Camp Collins where they climbed a tower and then took a rope swing high in the tree canopy for a stunning aerial view of the Mt. Hood National Forest.
Help From Every Angle
Standing (from left): Joc Hamilton, Bonita Burrus, and Kayden Henderson. Seated:Kendrick Smith and Jenesis Morris.
The benefits of Root 2 Rise are abundantly clear in this extended family.
Bonita Burrus, who is an educational assistant at an elementary school, has a first-hand view of every aspect of the program. Her grandson, Jocquel (Joc) Hamilton is a Tutor-Mentor, and three Tutor-Mentors are in different classrooms helping her grandsons Kendrick Smith (third grade) and Kayden Henderson (fourth grade), and granddaughter Jenesis Morris (first grade).
Burrus doesn’t have any doubts about the value of Tutor-Mentors. “It’s a very positive program.” She cited the excitement Tutor-Mentors bring to classrooms.
“In my experience, they have all been very polite with a good attitude. They don’t need to be told what to do. It seems to come naturally.”
Morris likes Tutor-Mentor Sophia Gille “100 percent.“ Smith praised the “personality“ of Tutor-Mentor Aiden Mcateer. And Henderson said Tutor-Mentor Jazarye is “kind and nice.”
“Root 2 Rise is more joyful, more fun than high school,” said Hamilton, who is now headed to college, encouraged by the help he’s given and received in Root 2 Rise.
Full of Smiles
From “terrible” to “great.” That’s how Zanay Ligons’ view of education changed during the last few months, thanks to Root 2 Rise.
As a junior and Tutor-Mentor in a third grade class at Glenfair Elementary in Fairview, Oregon, she now has good friends, feels great about school, and has a “sense of belonging,” much different from how she felt as a freshman and sophomore.
Her initial fear that the kids wouldn’t like her or would judge her vanished quickly. “The kids love me! They are so excited and overwhelmed when I come to class” – and are “full of smiles and ‘welcome backs,’” a powerful antidote to stress and anxiety she once felt in school.
She helps small groups with reading, spelling, and math, and with arts and crafts. Her favorite art project: making suncatchers for the classroom windows.
Ligons is soft-spoken and a little shy, but said she is now more confident - and feels respected by students. Building on the patience and perseverance she taught students, she now wants to either attend law school (to help kids and families receive legal services) or become a kindergarten or third-grade teacher.
