Gordon State College President Dr. Donald J. Green is continuing to champion global literacy as a board director for the World Literacy Foundation (WLF). His ongoing involvement recently brought international representatives to the Barnesville campus for strategic planning and took him to the 2025 WLF Summit in Oxford, England, where he spoke alongside four-time Grammy-nominated artist Jelly Roll.

GSC served as a collaborative hub for the WLF, hosting global representatives from the United Kingdom, Colombia and Australia for the organization’s annual strategic meeting. The session was led by Cathy Green, wife of President Green, who has been engaged with the organization since its early days, beginning as a volunteer for USA Reads in 2005.

Cathy Green reflected on a moment that shaped her passion for literacy. While living in Grand Rapids, Michigan, she and her son visited a nearby elementary school to distribute books to students.

“On Friday nights, we’d go to Barnes & Noble as a family and the kids would each get a book,” Green said. “My son was shocked that the children we were visiting didn’t have a single book at home and were amazed they got to keep the ones we were handing out. He said, ‘We have tons of books at home, and these kids don’t even have one.’ You don’t always realize that here in the United States there are still children without books.”

Key discussions focused on strengthening volunteer engagement to ensure that both the foundation and its volunteers benefit meaningfully from their efforts.

“We’re not just spreading awareness about the need for resources, books, and a strong education system,” said Naomi Nwagboso, project and fundraising manager for UK Reads. “We’re also encouraging people to take action in their own communities and support literacy however they can.”

The team also explored the development of the foundation’s three-month youth ambassador program, which equips participants to fundraise, design literacy initiatives and advocate for the transformative power of literacy in children’s lives.

“Giving children books means giving them the opportunity to change the verb ‘to be’ into ‘to become,’” said Vanessa Portilla, chief operations officer for the WLF in Colombia. “It empowers them to grow into who they want to be and pursue their dreams, because there’s so much knowledge and possibility waiting in the pages of a book.”

During the 2025 WLF Summit, a global gathering focused on addressing the literacy crisis and expanding access to education, Donald Green joined fellow advocates in sharing insights. He recalled being especially inspired by remarks from four-time Grammy-nominated artist Jelly Roll, whose personal story highlighted the power of second chances and the life-changing impact of education.

“Jelly Roll reminds us of the quiet power of literacy. Part of his presentation was the understated yet immense impact of his ability to read and write lyrics,” Green said. “It's easy to take literacy for granted, but for Jelly Roll, it wasn't just about decoding words; it was about unlocking the emotions of a challenging life and providing a new dimension of understanding and expression.”

Green’s participation in the summit was part of a global movement to reduce illiteracy and transform lives. Hearing personal stories like Jelly Roll’s and learning from global advocates provided meaningful insight that he has already begun bringing back to Highlander Nation. The experience reinforces GSC’s Forward Thinking approach to expanding educational opportunities and empowering students through literacy.