Poster girl Doniesha Carter

Four years ago, Doniesha Carter needed one-on-one help to improve her own reading skills. Now, she's a poster girl for the St. Louis County Library.

Twelve-year-old Doniesha's poster will hang in all of the St. Louis County branch libraries. Other posters also will be donated to area schools for display.

The St. Louis County Library started a Library Connections Poster Series to recognize some unsung heroes of the St. Louis community. Doniesha is the second young person featured.

Earlier, George Thampy was honored for winning the 2000 National Spelling Bee.

Doniesha's story is one of persistence and hard work. She not only overcame her own reading problems but has used that experience to help others.

The Berkeley youngster needed one-on-one tutoring during first and second grades because she was lagging behind her classmates in reading. "I don't know why I had trouble but I did," she said.

By third grade, she was still behind but had improved enough to stay with her class without the special tutoring. "It gradually came together," Doniesha said.

She said Holman Elementary uses a Reading for Success program to help students. "It shows you how to read and also how to comprehend what you read," she said.

Last year, as a 6th grader at Holman Elementary School, she was part of a team of students who made vocal recordings of books for use by blind people. The tapes and CDs can be checked out from the Wolfner Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in Jefferson City.

"When you're recording, you can learn how to read better while you help someone else with their reading," she said.

Doniesha said it takes about three weeks to record a book "if you don't make too many mistakes." If there is a recording mistake, the kids read the passage again while recording over the faulty part, she said.

Faculty and staff at Holman Elementary converted an closet into a recording studio. They used insulation on the walls and door to make the closet soundproof.

Students work on the recordings after school and on Saturdays.

Doniesha started in the program as a "proctor." That's the person who operates the computer while another student does the actual reading in the studio.

Then, she got a chance to do the vocal reading and someone else handled the computer work.

"I like the reading part better," Doniesha said. She thinks she has a good voice for the readings.

But, she said the reading without making errors isn't easy. "You really have to concentrate," she added.

In addition to making the book recordings, Doniesha also helps some of her classmates with their classwork.

She said her school has a "special Wednesday" program. That's a time when students can do what they want if they have all their assignments completed. "Sometimes I just read. But, other times I help other kids with their language and reading," she said.

"After my trouble with reading, it makes me want to do something for others," Doniesha said.

That combination of reading and helping others has Doniesha thinking about being a librarian when she becomes an adult. "I'd still be able to teach people how to read and do others things," she said.

That attitude helped convince St. Louis Library officials that Doniesha would make a good addition to their Library Connections Poster Series.

Doniesha is the daughter of Edward and Donna Burse of Berkeley. She has one older brother, Jerrell Carter, 15, and a younger brother, Jermaine, who is one.