Name: Nikki D.

Hometown: Lake Worth, FL

What do you do at First Book? I’m the Coordinator for the Development Team – all fundraising, all the time.

What are you reading now? A People’s History of the United States, by Howard Zinn.

What have you learned by working at First Book? I’ve learned that there’s only 1 book for every 300 children in a low-income neighborhood, but 13 books for  every child in a middle-class neighborhood. That’s why I’m here at First Book – to try and alleviate that imbalance!

What’s the first job you had? My first job was ironically working at Waldenbooks as a Bookseller. It was great, aside from having to work retail on Christmas Eve.

Tell us a fun fact (or un-fun fact) about you? As a preface, let me remind you that First Book reaches low-income children by working with Title 1 schools and community organizations that already serve our target population. First Book has a very special meaning to me because I both attended a Title 1 school and worked at a “First Book” community organization (a family resource center).

Do you have any favorite hobbies or life events coming up? My favorite hobby right now is definitely completing my graduate degree in public policy. In fact, I can’t think of something I would enjoy doing more on the weekends.

What’s your favorite movie? I have a few: Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Garden State, Newsies, Saved, the Day After Tomorrow, and the Harry Potter movies.

Do you have a favorite quote or saying you live by? “What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” – Emerson

Who’s your hero (storybook or otherwise)? My hero is Daniel Patrick Moynihan, the father of modern social policy, and a major proponent of government’s responsibility to provide a safety net for its citizens.

Mac or PC? I can’t live without the right-click on a PC.