A Labour of Love of Reading

By Tara Black, Contributing Writer and STS Alumni Parent

It was Grade 5 at STS, and Ms. Duncan-Moore let Jyoti Ruparell ’18, a nine-year-old at the time, put a mason jar in the classroom to ask students to bring their own change to buy books for a school in Calgary. The class raised $36, enough to buy three books, and a life-long passion was born.

“For me, it just started out as kids helping kids… but, as I grew up, I learned the implications of being illiterate on people’s lives. To be a successful adult, and contribute to society, you need to be literate,” says Jyoti. 

Fast forward 10 years, and the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation, which provides books and literary resources to schools who can’t afford them across Canada, is still championed by Jyoti at STS, even though she has graduated. This past school year, with the support of students who Jyoti passed the torch to, the Middle and Senior Schools raised more than $10,000 - enough to buy 1,000 books.

Jyoti is thankful to the STS community for their commitment and continuation of this important cause. “It’s my personal passion, so I’m grateful for all the support I’ve received from the School, alumni, parents, family, friends, and everyone, for the Love of Reading.”

Due to her commitment to literacy, Jyoti became an Ambassador for the World Literacy Foundation, and in April 2020 was scheduled to speak at the World Literacy Summit conference in Oxford, U.K. It was unfortunately cancelled because of the pandemic but her notes were posted online, sharing a unique perspective on how digital literacy impacts our everyday lives. 

Jyoti is using her own love of reading to pursue a major in Graphic Communications Management at Ryerson University in Toronto, with a concentration in packaging. She is also proud of the “highlight of her athletic career,” being recruited to the Ryerson Varsity Volleyball team.

Her resilience is what defines her as a Spartan. “My experience at STS gave me a lot of life lessons when I was young, which now help me succeed. As a result, I can handle my academics and volleyball, while keeping up with my literacy work, better than I expected.”

While focusing on her own bright future, she is hopeful for the future of the Love of Reading campaign at STS. “I would love to see more students get involved, and have a better understanding of literacy and how it impacts society.”