PEMBROKE — Lindsey Oxendine’s inspiration to organize a literacy and reading event stemmed from a conversation she had with the mother of a fourth-grade student.

“She said her daughter was picked on and bullied at school because she was a slow reader,” said Oxendine, a junior at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke. “My heart was gripped with compassion for this young girl and her mother.”

On Oct. 12, Oxendine will join Arrow Educational Solutions to host a “Reading and Literacy Kickoff” event at Harvest Church in Rowland.

The reading and literacy event is part of Oxendine’s “Mentoring to Motivate” platform she adopted after being crowned Miss Lumbee this summer.

Arrow Educational Solutions offers web-based products and distributes phonics and literacy reading materials for parents and teachers. The company’s goal is to improve reading, writing, spelling and comprehension skills of students in pre-K to high school.

Arrow has two internet literacy websites with more than 400 hours of instructional activities to help students and adults improve their literacy skills.

The company is owned by Dr. Reginald Oxendine, a retired UNCP professor, and an affiliate with the university’s Entrepreneurship Incubator.

He said he is honored to partner with Lindsey to carry out one of the many branches of her platform, teaching youth how to read.

“Mentoring has always been my passion as seeding a positive mindset into the lives of our youth is vital in today’s society,” said Lindsey Oxendine, who is studying Business Administration.

“In my local church, Harvest Church, I have served as a trained student leader since the age of 16,” she said. “As a student leader I provide guidance and support to our youth in varied areas. Now that I am Miss Lumbee, it is my desire to expand my mentoring skills outside the walls of my local assembly.

“Other student leaders within our assembly have agreed to unite with me in my initiative,” she said. “We plan to receive the necessary training to properly carry out our mission.”

Lindsey’s long-term goal for the reading and literacy branch of her platform is to achieve early reading proficiency among the local youth and to encourage them academically, socially and economically for success.

Reginald Oxendine said he encourages UNCP’s faculty, staff and students to partner with them to help improve reading, writing, spelling and comprehension skills of students in our region.

“Together, we can dramatically improve the literacy skills of students,” he said.