For several LWU students and alumni, the annual event played an important role in their academic and professional development.
by Duane Bonifer
COLUMBIA, KY. (02/27/2026) Kaylei Neat and Hailey Rowe remember what it was like to be first-graders who were enchanted and entertained when Lindsey Wilson University students visited Adair County schools to celebrate Read Across Adair County.
This year, the Lindsey Wilson freshmen from Columbia helped more than 300 visitors to Adair County Primary School enjoy the 24th edition of the celebration of reading, which was held Thursday, Feb. 26.
“I remember being with my parents and walking around, and it seemed so big,” said Rowe, who is an elementary education major. “It’s a little weird walking around as an adult and being some of ‘those people.'”
Rowe handed out pencils and trinkets to children and their family members, while Neat distributed complimentary candy.
The two were among more than 50 Lindsey Wilson students who helped at this year’s event, which has become a big one for Adair County Primary Center and Adair County Elementary School.
During Read Across Adair County, Lindsey Wilson students read children’s stories to the schools’ students while dressed as a character from the book; played activities based on the books; painted designs on children’s faces; and organized games in the school’s gymnasium. Lindsey Wilson mascot Blue Raider Bob patrolled halls and classrooms, and students and their family members also enjoyed free pizza and collected free children’s books.
This year’s Read Across Adair County was sponsored by the Kentucky Education Association/Middle Cumberland Education Association, Adair County Schools, Adair County Family Resource/Youth Services Centers, Title I of the U.S. Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Adair County Retired Teachers Association and the Lindsey Wilson Education Department.
Brings families together and into schools
Lindsey Wilson senior Lakyn Stearns of Columbia was among eight LWU students who painted designs on children’s faces.
Stearns, who reckoned she would paint more than 50 children’s cheeks or foreheads during the two-hour event, said she “loves interacting with all the kids and their families.”
“I know that when I’m a teacher, I’ll be interacting with children’s families all year along,” said Stearns, who will become a fourth-generation teacher in her family when she graduates in December from Lindsey Wilson.
She said that Read Across Adair County is an important annual event “because it brings families together and out into the schools.”
“It’s good for the community as well because it brings community members in the schools as well,” said Sterans, as she finished painting a rainbow flower on the right cheek of 5-year-old Maliyah Williams.
Maliyah’s brother, Kingsley, 6, also had his face painted. Although Maliyah did not have pre-school the next day, her mother, Chantal Branham, said the girl would proudly wear her facepaint design to daycare.
“She’s going to wear it tomorrow,” said Branham. “I’m not going to even fight her about it.”
Branham, who attended her second Read Adair County with her children, said the event does a great job encouraging children to fall in love with books.
“I like that it encourages them to read,” she said. “They get really excited when they get the books.”
Promotes community involvement
Lindsey Wilson alumnae Lindsey Garrett ’25 and Taylor Morrison ’12 were among the Adair County teachers who participated in Read Across Adair County while Lindsey Wilson students.
Garrett, who is in her first year as first-grade teacher, said the annual event “is a good experience for the soon-to-be-teachers to meet the kids.”
Morrison, a second-grade teacher who is in her 13th year of teaching, said she looks forward to Read Across Adair County because “it promotes a love of reading among kids and it gets the community involved.”
“I’ve seen kids get excited about reading because of this,” said Morrison, who took part in two Read Across Adair County events while a Lindsey Wilson student.
In addition to fostering a love of books among children, this year’s Read Across Adair County included a Lindsey Wilson student who discovered a love for teaching.
Katrina Bailey ’26 of Glasgow, Kentucky, entered Lindsey Wilson as a nursing major, then soon realized her professional calling was in the classroom instead of health care. Bailey, who dressed as the character Camilla Cream from the children’s story A Bad Case of Stripes, said each group of students she worked with during Read Across Adair County responded differently to the book.
“Sometimes they are a little wiggly on the carpet when we read to them, so we move on to the activity – we give them something to do while we read to them, and they stay seated longer,” she said.
LWU seniors Collin Pike of Columbia and Zack Brown of Albany, Kentucky, assumed two characters in The Day the Crayons Quit — Pike was the color Blue, and Brown was the color Green. Pike, who attended Read Across Adair County as an elementary school student, said it has been fun to return the favor the last two years by being one of the Lindsey Wilson students who encourages children to read.
“As an Adair County student, I just remember everyone being dressed up — that made me excited to go in and read the books and do the activities,” said Pike. “It’s really enjoyable to see the kids come in, open a book and be excited to read.”
Lindsey Wilson University student Katrina Bailey ’26 of Glasgow, Kentucky, reads “A Bad Case of Stripes” during Read Across Adair County on Thursday, Feb. 26, at Adair County Primary Center. Bailey was dressed as the children’s story main character, Camilla Cream.
Lindsey Wilson University student Lakyn Stearns ’26 of Columbia paints a tiger design on the forehead of kindergartener Winston Mackenzie, 6, of Columbia, during Read Across Adair County on Thursday, Feb. 26, at Adair County Primary Center.
Lindsey Wilson University students Zack Brown ’26 of Albany, Kentucky, left, and Collin Pike ’26 of Columbia assumed two characters from the children’s book “The Day the Crayons Quit” during Read Across Adair County on Thursday, Feb. 26, at Adair County Primary Center.
Lindsey Wilson University mascot Blue Raider Bob poses with pre-school student Deklynn Coe, 5, of Columbia during Read Across Adair County on Thursday, Feb. 26, at Adair County Primary Center. Deklynn attended the event with his mother, White Rodgers Coe, who is a 2014 Lindsey Wilson alumna.
Lindsey Wilson University students Hailey Rowe ’29, left, and Kaylei Neat ’29, both of Columbia, attended Read Across Adair County as first-grade students at Adair County Primary Center. On Thursday, Feb. 26, they helped serve students and their family members who attended the 2026 edition of the annual event. Rowe handed out pencils and trinkets to children and their family members, and Neat distributed complimentary candy.
Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 28 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university’s 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.
(Duane Bonifer – Lindsey Wilson University)