Our Team

The Board of Directors is a passionate group of like-hearted individuals, each driven by their unique 'why' and united by a shared commitment to the mission and purpose of Classmates Literacy Foundation. 

  • Having dedicated her professional life to the wellbeing, education and mentorship of children, Jillayne Benjamin is a passionate advocate for literacy and experiential engagement to further children's social/emotional, cognitive and academic development. She holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Arizona and an M.S. in Child Development from the esteemed Erikson Institute in Chicago. Her comprehensive studies and training proved integral to her successful contributions in the classroom, where she taught various grades, and was a reading/math specialist. Jillayne also developed and led the MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) and RtI (Response to Intervention) programs at a Chicago charter school serving students kindergarten through 8th grade. In addition to her extensive teaching experience, she has also held key roles in developing programming, curriculum and trainings at the national non-profit, Common Threads, and WITS (Working In The Schools). Jillayne’s knowledge, versatility and deep experience working on behalf of children’s initiatives continue to be a priority today in her collaborating with a diverse range of stakeholders in her community to foster growth and curiosity in young minds. Jillayne serves on various local school committees and volunteers with the hunger relief organization, Beyond Hunger, in Oak Park. In her free time she loves to read, travel, and spend time with her husband, 2 kids and 3 cats. She is committed to furthering her life’s work by proudly serving on the Board of Classmates Literacy Foundation, where her expertise in child literacy can make the largest impact.

  • Celeste M. Bermejo was educated in the Valley View 365U School District where she attended A. Vito Martinez Middle School and graduated from Romeoville High School. She went on to attend Northern Illinois University as a General Assembly Scholarship recipient then transferred to Lewis University where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and her MBA in Finance.

    Celeste is a Financial Advisor with WestPoint Financial Group, where she specializes in helping clients retire with confidence and works to help small business owners mitigate financial risk. Celeste believes that knowledge is the key to a successful financial future and is passionate about educating families on financial literacy.

    Celeste currently serves as the President of the Fountaindale Public Library District Board of Trustees. She has served on the Board of Trustees since 2017 where she applies her valuable experience in writing policies that govern the library and the staff, understanding of financials and developing budgets. She also leads the Strategic Planning Team for the Fountaindale Public Library to continue to grow and develop library services.

    In her personal life, Celeste is a foodie and a traveler. She loves to explore new countries, cities and their food scene.

  • Kristen Eidson is the Founder and Executive Director of Classmates Literacy Foundation. Kristen is passionate about equitable access to high quality education for at-risk students. She enjoys building meaningful connections with supporters and highly values collaboration. As Executive Director at CLF Kristen oversees all aspects of the organization.

    This journey began for Kristen over 20 years ago when she stepped into Sojourner Truth School in Chicago’s Cabrini Green neighborhood to serve as a reading tutor for a third grade student. Kristen was working at the financial services firm Credit Suisse and volunteering through a partnership the company had with the literacy nonprofit Working in the Schools (WITS). For 8 years she served as a tutor and coordinator for the reading program. She also worked closely with the Credit Suisse Philanthropic Foundation to increase volunteer opportunities available to Chicago employees, providing volunteer and funding support to numerous Chicago non-profits.

    In 2008 she completed her Master’s in Public Policy with a focus on Education and soon after accepted the role of Director of Programs at WITS. Kristen has worked with hundreds of students and teachers in over 30 Chicago Public Elementary schools. She found this work deeply meaningful and it is where she saw firsthand the transformative power of literacy. These experiences also highlighted for her the pervasive racial and ethnic disparities that persist in our education system. On her desk today are photos and notes from the students she worked with and these students are the “why” behind her work today.

    Kristen lives in Middleton, Wisconsin with her husband, three children, dog and two immortal goldfish.

  • Beth has been a highly regarded public school teacher for over 20 years, specializing in early childhood education, first grade, and mostly kindergarten. In the last five years of her teaching career, she worked as a reading specialist at a Title One school near Chicago, helping students from kindergarten to sixth grade.

    In her role as a reading specialist, Beth identifies early signs of dyslexia in students and provides tailored literacy lessons for struggling readers. She holds certifications as a Structured Literacy Specialist and Dyslexia Interventionist from the Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI) and is recognized as a Slant System® Structured Literacy and Dyslexia Specialist.

    Beth shares her expertise by presenting at local and national conferences, mentoring teachers in the Slant® method, and offering tutoring services in her community. She was honored as "Teacher of the Year" by her local teachers' union for her commitment to teaching reading and supporting her colleagues.

    In addition to her teaching role, Beth co-authored an educational book and produces publications and training courses for the Slant System®. Currently serving as the Executive Director of Operations and Outreach at Classmates Educational Group, Inc., she remains dedicated to literacy outreach and training initiatives.

  • As a literacy-driven educator, Yvette Manns has invested over a decade and a half to improving educational practices in the state of Georgia. Through the years, Yvette has collaborated with hundreds of teachers, administrators, and school district leaders across the state of Georgia through direct coaching, professional development sessions and training resources. Yvette received House Resolution 821, in honor of her impact to the community in the Westside of Atlanta, and has also been featured in multiple media outlets for her ingenuity in education and literature.

    Her career path has progressed from being an elementary educator, to a curriculum developer, and now she runs her own educational publishing company. Through her company, she creates high interest children’s literature, which includes her series entitled, “Phonics Read-Alouds.”

    Yvette’s desire to enlighten children is the motivation behind her learning materials that are in over 16,000 classrooms, libraries and museums in the United States, Canada, Australia and Senegal. “We have the responsibility to reach back and uplift our youth, in ways that will improve their potential outcomes and possibilities for success,” she believes.

  • Melissa is a Wisconsin resident who lives with her husband, 16 year old son, and three dogs. She is a pharmacist of 20+ years and currently works at UW Health. Her passion for literacy is both personal and professional.

    Her personal connection to literacy within the school system stems from her son’s current and past struggles in navigating curriculum with dyslexia and ADD. He is a high functioning, bright child and it took many years of advocating, private testing, and back and forth with the school to get a 504 plan to support his learning needs.Melissa's professional connection to literacy stems from patients' challenges with understanding how to take their medications. She has worked on many initiatives with Wisconsin Health Literacy to improve readability of prescription labels and improve medication direction prescribing practices at a health system level to meet health literacy best practice standards.

  • Jacqueline is an Illinois native, raised in the community of Hinsdale. Serving the Chicagoland area, Jacqueline's extensive knowledge of the real estate market, coupled with her dedication to providing exceptional service, positions her as a trusted ally for both buyers and sellers which serves as a valuable asset in the real estate landscape.

    Before venturing into real estate, Jacqueline accrued over a decade of experience in the medical field, demonstrating her commitment to health and well-being.

    Jacqueline's transition from the medical field to the role of a devoted stay-at-home mom to six boys is a testament to her unwavering commitment to family and community. Her ability to balance the diverse needs of a large family underscores her dedication to creating a nurturing home environment and emphasizing the importance of family values. Her love for the community and a deep belief in the transformative power of service led Jacqueline to actively engage in various capacities. Proudly serving as a Rotarian and board member, she embodies the principles of service to others, promoting integrity, goodwill, and peace among business, professional, and community leaders.

    Jacqueline's commitment to community service extends beyond her Rotary involvement. She has served as a team leader at the local food pantry and clothing closet, demonstrating her dedication to addressing the immediate needs of those in her community. Additionally, her role as the PTO president at her boys' elementary school underscores her hands-on approach to cultivating a positive and supportive educational environment.

    Although Jacqueline herself is dyslexic, the turning point in her journey came in 2018 when her son was diagnosed with dyslexia. This not only significantly impacted his academics but also took an immense toll on his self-esteem and sense of self-worth. The introduction of the SLANT program was a transformative turning point for her son, catapulting him from severe struggles with reading and writing to developing the proper, necessary skills needed to succeed. Today, he not only reads and writes with confidence but is thriving and achieving goals that were once deemed unattainable. This personal experience fuels her advocacy for empowering teachers with the proper skills and tools needed to nurture learners effectively, ultimately fostering hope, instilling confidence, and paving the way for lasting success in the lives of dyslexic students. Jacqueline strives to create awareness, promote understanding, and ensure that all students, regardless of their learning differences, have the opportunity to flourish and succeed in their educational journeys.

  • Keegan Wilson is a passionate and highly diversified educator with a wide range of experience tenured with a history of success in and out of the classroom. Over the past decade, she has both school and district experience in leadership roles such as teacher, reading interventionist, RTI interventionist, and district dyslexia interventionist specialist. As a certified Orton-Gillingham and LETRS Academy educator, Keegan is knowledgeable and eager to provide literacy support. She is valued amongst colleagues and supervisors and beloved by students and families as her mission to meet any educational need is paramount in her teaching philosophy. Keegan founded Know Dyslexia to provide tailored services for tutoring, advocation, and consultation.

    Keegan is very involved in the CLF mission and believes that everyone has the right to explicit, direct, and systematic phonics instruction. She is very involved in The Reading League- South Carolina and looks forward to fulfilling the mission of Classmates Literacy Foundation. Keegan believes in this mission and wants more educators to have access to high quality literacy instruction.