For Ashley Allen, literacy is less about books, and more about people.
“There are lives I’ll never live and perspectives I’ll never have,” Allen says. “But through literature, I can step into someone else’s story and better understand their experiences, hopes, fears and humanity.”
Ashley Allen
As co-executive director of Read to Succeed Asheville/Buncombe, Allen leads an organization that works to close race-based opportunity gaps through community-powered literacy programs that connect children, families, volunteers and community partners. Her work recently earned statewide recognition when she was named one of four 2026 MLS All-Star Hometown Heroes, an honor recognizing nonprofit leaders across the Carolinas who are making a lasting impact in their communities. Her first reaction to hearing about the award was disbelief.
“You get so used to doing this work, keeping your head down, relying on the volunteers and partners around you that when you look up and realize you’ve had an audience—that anyone more than your small circle has taken note of the impact being made—it’s a bit of a shock,” she says.
Allen spent 10 years teaching in public schools before moving into non-profit literacy work.
“What convinced me was seeing, firsthand, how capable and brilliant my students were, and how deeply invested their families were in their success,” Allen says. “I realized the problem wasn’t the students, it was the system.”
Recognizing the problem also helped her to clearly identify the solution.
“When I thought about the organizations, resource centers and elders who truly see and honor Black and Brown students that inequitable systems too often underestimate, it wasn’t hard to see that community was the solution,” Allen says. “Community-based literacy programs simply create the space for that brilliance to be recognized, nurtured and celebrated. I want Black and Brown children to see that excellence doesn’t require perfection. They don’t have to be beyond reproach to be worthy of opportunity or celebration.”
Jess McLean, co-executive director with Allen at Read to Succeed, says Allen’s influence extends far beyond students.
“She has a magical way of equipping adults—staff, tutors, parents—with the tools that make us all better at supporting students,” McLean says. “Ashley is genuinely the greatest advocate for children that you will meet. She deserves this incredible recognition for all the ways she shows up to support students and move the needle on literacy in our community.”
Outside the office, Allen’s interests surprise many people. She describes herself as “a serial hobby collector,” with interests ranging from rollerblading and the tabletop role-play game Dungeons & Dragons to miniature house kits and wine tasting. She’s also passionate about reptiles, and secured a classroom grant for a pet snake that now lives at Read to Succeed’s office.
“Wherever there’s something new to try, I’m probably going to try it,” Allen says.
Despite the recognition she has received, Allen measures success less by awards than by connections.
“There are a lot of brilliant kids and a lot of caring adults in our community,” Allen says. “Success looks like connecting them to one another so that they can all learn and grow together.”
Learn more at R2SAsheville.org.
