Mabel Hayes is a native of southern Illinois . She earned a Bachelor of Science in English education from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale . She has taught in many academic areas from early childhood to adult education. For ten years Mabel taught junior high and high school language arts and developmental reading. In 1991 she began teaching in the GED/ABE program at John A. Logan College .  After ten years in adult education and as Director of the JALC Adult and Family Literacy program, Mabel now works as a grant writer for John A. Logan College . She is currently assisting the Associate Dean for Educational Programming and is working with the Logan Learning Community. She continues to pursue her passion for teaching reading by serving as a volunteer with the Read-a-Story Family Literacy program at the county jails and at the Marion Federal Penitentiary Work Camp.