Valerie Byrd Fort engages students with passion and enthusiasm for reading and literacy. She has over 15 years of teaching in the K - 12 environment and was selected as Teacher of the Year at both schools in which she taught. As a school librarian, she was an advocate for both students and teachers. She teaches courses in children's literature and in school library management. Byrd Fort is the coordinator for Cocky's Reading Express, the University of South Carolina's literacy outreach program.