Our Founders
Kathrina O’Connell
Kathrina is passionate about making books accessible for all learners. Prior to 2020, she taught elementary students (P-6) and multilingual learners (K-12) in Spain, New York, North Dakota, and Minnesota. Kathrina also developed and led the summer Literacy Academy, for middle school students, from 2019-2023. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor of Education at Bemidji State University. Her research focuses on students’ motivation to read, rural education, and supporting multilingual learners. When she is not reading or writing, she can be found baking and spending time with her family.
Danielle Kubasko Sullivan
Danielle is a lifelong lover of reading and writing, so it’s hardly surprising that she became an English teacher! She has taught secondary and college English in Alaska, Tennessee, Colorado, New Mexico, and Minnesota. She is currently an Associate Professor of English at Bemidji State University and coordinates the English Education program. Her research focuses on culturally sustaining rural English language arts pedagogy.
She loves being outside, and in the summer, you can often find her on a paddleboard with her dogs or reading on her patio.
Summer 2025 Teacher Candidate Facilitators
Merideth Klingbeil is an English Education Major at Bemidji State University. Through the university, she has been able to participate in many educational events including the Diverse Texts Conference, Student Achievement Day, and the Reaching Rural Readers Summer program. She spends most of her free time in the summer reading outside and is currently working her way through the Lord of the Rings trilogy.