ATLANTA – Sandra Deal, wife of Georgia Governor Nathan Deal, visited Cook Elementary School near downtown Atlanta to see Everybody Wins! Atlanta’s Power Lunch program in action (www.EverybodyWinsAtlanta.org). Mrs. Deal read the book, No More Excuses by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer to the children, then interacted directly with the students and their adult mentors as they read together. Her visit was held in conjunction with National Mentoring Month (January 2012).
A former teacher, Mrs. Deal spoke to the students about the importance of developing academic skills like reading, and learning to make good choices. She told them it was important to find something they love to do and then do it with joy and enthusiasm. She also thanked the mentors who are helping the students become stronger and better readers and praised the work of Everybody Wins! Atlanta. Mrs. Deal asked the mentors to recruit their peers as fellow mentors and encouraged the children to keep reading.
