Bria Wurst has always loved reading. As a child, she would read at the dinner table until her mother reminded her to put away her book during mealtime. Sometimes, she secretly read under the table. Realistic fiction stories were her favorite, especially how they could transport her to a different world without leaving her house.

Now a 16-year-old junior at Panther Creek High School in Cary, Bria still loves to read, especially poetry, and has even been writing some stories of her own. But she was shocked to learn recently that North Carolina students are struggling to read despite the state spending more than $150 million on literacy efforts since 2012. Read more>>