Libby Hrabovsky loves seeing young minds open up like the pages of a book.
"I think I kind of enjoy the underdog," the Bush Elementary reading teacher said. "And I think that's what we get a lot. Based on their experiences and things they can't control, statistically they're not supposed to be successful.
"I think it's kind of challenging and rewarding to make those kids successful, but also for them to be able to see themselves as successful."
Hrabovsky is a reading interventionist who participates in the school's 20-week Reading Recovery program, which is targeted at first-graders. She helps struggling readers learn to enjoy reading and improve their skills.
Working with children was an easy choice for Hrabovsky.
"My mom was a teacher, too, so that was something I was around," she said.
Hrabovsky grew up in Fulton and attended public school. Her career path almost took a very different route - she first entered college as a pre-med student.
"I thought I was going to be a pediatrician," Hrabovsky said.
A passionate childhood development professor ignited her interest in teaching, and Hrabovsky graduated with a degree in early childhood education. Then, she completed the University of Missouri Teaching Fellowship program, spending a year teaching in Lee Summit and earning a master's degree.
She and her husband, Loren, soon moved back to the place they considered home.
"I knew we would be starting a family and wanted to be back close to Fulton," Hrabovsky said. "I like just knowing a lot of people. I have kids (in class) whose parents I went to school with."
The couple now has four children: Zoey, Sam, Cooper and Izzie. The oldest daughter will soon head off to college; Hrabovsky just returned from a road trip out west to look at schools with her.
When not teaching, Hrabovsky spends time with her children.
"My older son is a big wrestler," she said. "My younger daughter does gymnastics. The youngest isn't much of a sports guy, but he loves being outdoors."
Between the activities, Hrabovsky can often be found buried in a book.
"I like to read - anything from murder mysteries to books about family," she said.
She particularly enjoys Jodie Picoult and Lisa Scottoline.
Hrabovsky taught at Bartley Elementary for 10 years but wanted to try something new. She passed her National Certification Boards and took her current job at Bush Elementary.
She's been there for eight years and still finds the job satisfying.
"Every year, there's success stories," Hrabovsky said. "This past year, I had a kid that got up to grade level in 13 weeks instead of 20, and by the end of the year, she was reading well beyond first-grade level. But then there's also those ones where they might not be reading at grade level by the end, but they've made so much progress. They see themselves as readers, so that's huge."
To parents who are struggling with reluctant readers, she suggests choosing books on topics that interest the child. However, that isn't always enough.
"I think a lot of it is confidence and ability," she said. "A lot of parents say 'My kid doesn't like to read,' but often it's because reading's hard for them. It's hard so they don't want to do it, but then they don't do it so it's hard."
Teachers like Hrabovsky aim to help break that cycle.