Before MIB was even a thought, MIB founder and CEO Jerry Davis was coaching lacrosse at Lamar High School. Little did he realize that a relationship forged on the field would eventually come full circle and have a huge impact on his non-profit! The relationship between Jerry and Travis Bryan began on that very field, and continued over the next 12+ years. They played together, they coached together, and Jerry was a frequent visitor to Travis' parents' home. Fast forward several years ...Travis married the love of his life, Mindy; Jerry created Making It Better, the entire Bryan family supported his efforts financially and were frequent guests at MIB events.

Last year, when an additional literacy tutor position became available, Mindy was the first person who came to mind to fill the job! Her first two years in college had been spent in Spain, and her Early Childhood Development and Hispanic Studies & Language degrees from UT combined with her passion for children and years of teaching in HISD, made her the perfect candidate for the job!

MIB would like to recognize Mindy for her incredible passion and commitment to Making It Better. As Site Director for both a Literacy Program and a Steps 2 Success Program, Mindy works with kids in both an academic and social setting. In her own words, Mindy believes that "a consistent positive presence in a child's life--however small--can hugely impact his/her choices and the opportunities available to him/her.  For some of these kiddos, the hug, smile and attention they get from their MIB tutor might be the only one they get that day...  On a larger scale, I whole-heartedly believe that if we as a society don't invest our time and money into students/children of limited resources, the responsibility will come back to bite us ten-fold in the future."

At any given volunteer opportunity, you can always count on Mindy's husband, Travis; brother Blake; sister Lindsay; brother-in-law, Dan and even her mom, Cad to be on hand and in the trenches! MIB salutes the Bryan/Willeford family and thanks them for their unparalleled family support!