
Several dozen Bettie F. Williams Elementary School students stay after school once a month for some fun. They read with high school pals.
The “Reading Pals” literacy program was organized by the Kenneth Dorsey Jr. Foundation in partnership with Communities in Schools of Hampton Roads.

“My goal is to create an environment where students are engaged,” said Kenneth Dorsey Jr., the foundation’s executive director. Fourth and fifth graders practice reading, and high school volunteer pals gain leadership skills.
They gather in a classroom at the end of the school day for a snack before reading to or with a designated high school reading pal for 30 minutes. The student-to-student ratio is usually 1-to-1, or 1-to-2.
Mercedes Daughtry read “Popcorn!” by Elaine Landau with Bayside High School senior Nevaeh Bell. He’s glad his mother signed him up for the program. “I want to read more,” Mercedes said.
Nevaeh said reading with the younger students will help her in the future.
“I actually want to be a teacher,” she said. “This is also a good way to give back and help the kids.” She is in the “Virginia Teachers for Tomorrow” program and was recently accepted to Winston-Salem State University.

Nearby, Princess Anne High senior Emma Gallacher listened patiently while Maegan Hassell read part of the book “Blended,” by Sharon Draper.
Emma heard about “Reading Pals” from a friend. “I like to be involved in the community,” she said.
Maegan placed the book back in the bin after the reading session ended.
“I hope I can keep reading it next time,” she said. The fifth grader said she likes talking with friends and the high school volunteers after school.
“It’s helped me go from an introvert to an extravert,” she said with a smile.
Dorsey attended Bayside Elementary, Bayside Middle School and the Legal Studies Academy at First Colonial High School. He earned an industrial engineering degree from Virginia Tech, a Master of Business Administration from Radford University, and is employed as an engineer at Sentara Healthcare.
He first volunteered after-school at Bayside Middle as a tutor and mentor. Dorsey said he gave back to his alma mater because he wished someone had shared some tools for success with him when he was their age.
His desire to help youth led to the creation of the Kenneth Dorsey Jr. Foundation in 2021. The mission is to provide students with necessary tools for success through mentoring, tutoring and early career exploration.
Some of the students he mentored at Bayside Middle, including Noah Wagner, are now in high school and part of “Reading Pals” with Bettie F. Williams’ students.
Noah is a Bayside High School junior who said he gained valuable knowledge from Dorsey, and has learned a lot about various opportunities for study within the school system. He previously attended the Global Studies & World Language Academy at Tallwood High School and is now in the Virginia Beach City Public Schools half-day Environmental Studies Program at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Brock Environmental Center.
He enjoys sharing information and answering questions about being in middle and high school.
“I want to help these kids,” Noah said. “Hopefully I can have a positive impact.”
The high school students offer valuable advice to the younger students, Dorsey said.

“Sometimes students take in a message when it comes from a new voice.”
The teens occasionally seek counsel from Dorsey. He regularly asks if they have questions, need advice, or want to share information, such as accolades, achievements or college acceptances.
Communities in Schools’ mission aligns with Dorsey’s purpose. The nonprofit organization has site coordinators in about 30 area schools, including six in Virginia Beach. Its mission is to offer a network of support and resources to enable students to stay in school and be successful.
Bettie F. Williams Elementary site coordinator Arianna Pereras works full-time with school staff, volunteers and business partners to provide extra support for students and looks for after-school programs and events to address different challenges. The goal for Williams Elementary is to improve reading levels and social skills, she said.
Pereras said she has seen a more positive attitude towards reading in the students who participate in “Reading Pals.”
“Making it fun changes their perception about reading,” she said.
For more information, visit www.kennethdorseyjrfoundation.org or cisofhamptonroads.org.
