Behind FGCU’s Honors College book drive is a story of cultural ties and compassion. Students are donating books to support children in the Philippines— an effort inspired by the dean’s wife’s heritage.
The books being collected will be given to children in grades K-5 at San Jose Elementary School in Kabankalan, Philippines. Since Feb. 3, FGCU students have been dropping off books to one of five boxes in front of the Honors College (Reed 155). Each box represents a different “house” that honors students can be sorted into: Dolphin, Flamingo, Manatee, Panther or Sea Turtle.
FGCU’s Honors College is made up of students who take an active role in their education and demonstrate leadership skills. Students in the Honors College have access to exclusive course sections, advising, project funding and more.
Though each house in the Honors College is competing to collect the most books, they are united by a common cause.
“One of the initial impulses of it was that my wife, Jhodssie Fisher, who grew up in the Philippines, pointed out a need in her old elementary school,” Dean Tyler Fisher said. “They don’t really have a school library and are in need of books, especially as there’s a lot of pressure for the students to learn English.”
Jhodssie Fisher, who attended San Jose Elementary School, was reminded of her childhood while reading with her niece and nephew during a trip to the Philippines with her husband.
“I have my niece and nephew, and we give them books, and they read, and they really enjoy it,” Fisher said. “I feel like — how I wish I had that growing up, how I wish I knew those books, how I wish I had the sources so I could read more.”
“I have my niece and nephew, and we give them books, and they read, and they really enjoy it. I feel like — how I wish I had that growing up, how I wish I knew those books, how I wish I had the sources so I could read more.”Jhodssie Fisher, wife of FGCU Dean Tyler Fisher and a native of the Philippines
San Jose Elementary School is located in a mountainous area. Students who attend the school tend to be from villages surrounding the area and have little access to the city. It is not uncommon for students to attend school barefoot or wearing slippers.
Fisher said, “I started there, and during my time, we had a good teacher and good facilities there. But right now, because of the government and everything that happened, it's so hard for [kids] to access good books. And from my experience growing up, I didn't have books that I owned because, in the Philippines, it's very expensive to have books.”
Throughout her childhood, Fisher found books to read in English at the library. “During those times, I learned how to read English because, you know, growing up, we didn't speak English,” she said.
“There’s a lot of smart kids there, but the thing is their lack of sources. They don’t have enough sources to find things to read and to explore like children’s books,” Fisher said. “So, that’s one thing that, you really know, give me the idea to have this drive, to help those kids and help them dig in more into the child lit and then learn more about books.”
While this is the first time the Honors College is donating books to San Jose Elementary School, the Fishers have previously volunteered to help the students at the school. Specifically, they have hosted puppet shows and organized a feeding program at the school and nearby areas.
“So we travel to different islands, and, of course, in the neighboring city that I live [in],” Fisher said. “I [make] handmade hair bows… for the kids. It's very precious to have [hair bows]. I made those hair bows to give those kids, and then we ordered some of the caps here in the States and we gave them to the boys.”
Both the dean and Jhodssie Fisher have a deep love and appreciation for children’s literature. While Jhodssie is catching up on childhood classics like “Charlotte’s Web,” by E.B. White, or “Little House on the Prairie,” by Laura Ingalls Wilder, the dean reflects on his upbringing.
The dean said, “I was blessed to be the oldest of three siblings, and so with two younger sisters, I was allowed, as it were, to continue reading children’s literature well beyond the age when I should have probably stopped, but that was a great blessing.”
“I think there is, by nature, an accessibility in children’s literature design,” he continued. “Yet it’s also designed to uplift and encourage and drive a child reader to think more deeply and deliberately, whether that’s about their learning experience or whether it’s about ideas that they are encountering.”
In addition to the charity drive, the Honors College also hosted an open mic night on Feb. 13 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the SoVi Green and Gazebo to collect more donations, celebrate impactful children’s literature and give students the opportunity to share their own work.
In attendance was junior Bryanna Anderson, an English major minoring in education. Anderson also helped organize the open mic night and charity drive.
She became involved in the project after speaking with Dean Fisher at Fellowship Thursdays, a weekly event hosted by the Honors College. When Anderson mentioned that she hoped to pitch a children’s book as part of her honors thesis, Dean Fisher invited her to help plan the events.
“It was a lot of email chains — I will tell you that. There was a lot of emailing and back-and-forth,” Anderson said.
“I helped develop the posters with Amanda Klein. I met with Dr. Norcia several times to talk about how the event should be set up,” Anderson said. “Like if there should be multiple parts to it, how we should host it, if we should offer food or not. And, yeah, it was a big collaboration. It was a lot of teamwork.”
Amanda Klein is the social media and events coordinator for the Honors College. Dr. Megan Norcia is the director of the Office of Scholarly Innovation & Student Research (SISR). Both were involved in the organization of the open mic night and charity drive.
Anderson’s interest in pursuing teaching helped her to rediscover her love of children’s literature.
“Growing up, I struggled reading full novels, and graphic novels are really what got me to read, so I guess there was a natural progression for me taking interest in graphic novels,” Anderson said. “Going down the rabbit hole and just falling in love with children's picture books all over again. And there is so much mastery behind not just the writing of it.”
While at the open mic night, Anderson shared a book by Janell Cannon titled "Stellaluna." The book follows a bat who is separated from her mother and raised by birds.
“When my mom read it to me, I was just entering preschool, and that's a very hard transition era for kids because you go from being with your parents 24/7 to being with a class of strangers and a strange adult,” Anderson said. “And so when she read that book for me, it really helped me transition into school because the book is about Stellaluna growing up without her mom. So that's what I took out of it, but there's so much more that you can take out of the book as well.”
At the open mic night, Dean Fisher initially announced that the Dolphin House donated the most books. However, a last-minute donation from a student in the Sea Turtle House pushed it to victory.
In total, the Honors College collected 91 books. It will take roughly three months for the books to arrive at San Jose Elementary School. However, Dean Fisher has expressed interest in extending the donation period. For updates, those interested in donating or following the books’ arrival should regularly check “@fgcuhonors” on Instagram.
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