Sandra Ross remembers sixth grade clearly. Sitting with her advisor at DSST: Green Valley Ranch Middle School, on the verge of tears, working so hard yet still building her reading skills. It was frustrating. It was vulnerable. And it shaped everything that came after.
Now, more than a decade later, Ross is back at DSST, not as a struggling reader, but as the Tier 3 Literacy Interventionist at DSST: Conservatory Green Middle School and the author of “You Can Do All Things” with the purpose of sharing the message she knows in her bones to be true: your challenges don't define you. They can become the puzzle pieces that lead you to your purpose.
"My personal journey learning how to read inspired me to write ‘You Can Do All Things’," Ross said. "The book is rooted in my own experiences, where my faith, family and perseverance played vital roles in my growth as a reader."
Ross didn't just write a children's book. She hosted a Family Literacy Workshop on Nov. 15, inviting families into a conversation about literacy access, sharing research-based strategies rooted in the science of reading, and sharing resources designed to help students build strong reader identities at home.
For Ross, literacy isn't an abstraction. It's personal. It's the foundation that unlocked opportunities in her own life, and she's seen firsthand the power of words, both reading them and sharing them.
"Literacy is the foundation for success," she said. "When students have a strong reading foundation, they can reach their full potential. For my students, literacy is empowering. It helps them see their own potential and reminds them that they can do all things."
Ellianna Nixon, DSST Senior Manager of Literacy Intervention, has watched Ross's impact unfold in real time. In her first year at CG MS, Ross has made a significant and immediate mark on both students and families.
"She has fully embraced her role as a Tier 3 Literacy Interventionist and approaches her work with consistency, urgency and care," Nixon said. "Sandra not only delivers high-quality intervention, but also advocates for our most impacted learners. Her presence has strengthened our school-wide commitment to equitable literacy access."
Nixon shared that Ross’s experience as a GVR alumna has deeply shaped the connection she has with the school because she “sees herself in our students, which drives her commitment to showing them that their backgrounds and experiences are strengths, not barriers."
Ross understands their lived realities, and because of this, she builds authentic relationships, models perseverance through adversity and demonstrates what's possible through hard work and support.
"Her efforts highlight the importance of representation, belonging and family engagement in developing strong readers," Nixon said. "And they strengthen the literacy culture both inside and outside our school."
Ross is also pursuing her graduate degree and regularly collaborates with her peers, seeks feedback and engages deeply in professional learning.
"Her dedication to refining her practice is evident in her instruction and in the outcomes she aims to create for students," Nixon said.
For Ross, coming full circle feels like a gift. From a striving reader at GVR to a literacy interventionist empowering the next generation of students, she's living proof that challenges can become purpose.
"By sharing my story, I hope people feel encouraged knowing that our challenges do not define us," Ross said. "They can become the puzzle pieces that lead us to our purpose. I believe my early struggles were intentional; they allow me to deeply connect with the students I serve and to advocate for them with passion and empathy."
Every day students enter the Literacy Lab at CG MS, they're not just building skills. They're building confidence. They're building the belief that they are skillful readers. And they're learning from someone who knows exactly what it feels like to struggle, to persevere and to discover that you can, in fact, do all things.