Read, Lead, Succeed with Abby Quammen Conrad
Download MP3Dr. Erin Bailey sits down with Abby Quammen Conrad, former Miss New York 2024, to discuss her lifelong passion for children's literacy. Abby shares how books became a source of stability after losing her home at age 12, and how that experience shaped her Read Lead Succeed initiative, through which she's run book drives, after-school reading programs in the Bronx, and tutored students one-on-one — including the powerful story of a struggling third-grader who's now an English major in college. The conversation covers practical tips for building a love of reading at home, the economic case for literacy investment, creative community efforts like her Book Buddies social media challenge, and why libraries and local businesses have a role to play in keeping kids engaged with books.
About Abby Quammen Conrad:
Abby Quammen Conrad, Former Miss New York and friend of RIF Bio: Abby believes reading is a human right, and she's spent more than a decade proving it. A former Miss New York and founder of Read → Lead → Succeed, she has helped distribute over 10,000 books and reached more than 20,000 students in a mission to make reading "cool" for a new generation and fight our nation's illiteracy crisis. Through after-school reading programs in Title I schools and one-on-one tutoring, she works directly with the students who need it most — turning reluctant readers into confident ones. As the coach and mentor behind her own pageant consulting business, CrownedByQ, she guides rising titleholders to find their voice, own their story, and compete with confidence. By day, Abby works in development for the nation's largest private university while earning her MBA at NYU's Stern School of Business.
Abby Quammen Conrad, Former Miss New York and friend of RIF Bio: Abby believes reading is a human right, and she's spent more than a decade proving it. A former Miss New York and founder of Read → Lead → Succeed, she has helped distribute over 10,000 books and reached more than 20,000 students in a mission to make reading "cool" for a new generation and fight our nation's illiteracy crisis. Through after-school reading programs in Title I schools and one-on-one tutoring, she works directly with the students who need it most — turning reluctant readers into confident ones. As the coach and mentor behind her own pageant consulting business, CrownedByQ, she guides rising titleholders to find their voice, own their story, and compete with confidence. By day, Abby works in development for the nation's largest private university while earning her MBA at NYU's Stern School of Business.
@abbyqconrad @crownedbyqcoaching
