Our Stories - Bookmarks to Inspire Students

Meet Community Member, Donna Zeit

Sometimes, the smallest gestures can make the biggest impact. For longtime community member Donna Zeit, that gesture came in the form of a bookmark, nearly 2,900 of them, to be exact.

Inspired by her late husband, David Zeit, Donna set out to share messages of hope and encouragement with students. When David was young, he was called “stupid” for struggling in math and those words left a lasting mark. Though he went on to earn a master’s degree, the memory stuck with Donna. She wanted to provide at least one instance every day for students to receive a positive message.

With the help of friends, Donna handcrafted and distributed thousands of motivational bookmarks to youth in our community, which included 650 bookmarks for students at Leslie Middle School and 2,000 for students at South Salem High School.

Literacy is a key focus for our district, and Donna’s thoughtful gift is fun, encouraging and a very practical tool. Each bookmark is a wonderful placeholder that delivers a message to boost student confidence and serves as a daily reminder to maintain an optimistic outlook. One of the bookmarks some students received reads: “Look for something positive in every day, even if some days you have to look harder. You can always face a bad day with a good attitude.”

Donna’s creativity and compassion remind us all of the power of community and the difference one person can make, one positive message at a time.