About Us
Recognizing the challenging access to literary resources in Hawaii—like books and guided reading—Words4 was founded with the intention of making such resources accessible to all. We vehemently believe that cultivating literacy in children will help actualize equity and prosperity, also alleviating the rampant issue of illiteracy. Ultimately, our mission is to improve rates of literacy among youth and adults in Hawaii, striving for educational equity and a better future for all.
Our Team
Sascha Pakravan
Founder and President
Sascha is a high school student attending Punahou School in Oahu, Hawaii. Ever since he was a child, Sascha has been passionate about high level reading and writing.
As a member of Speech and Debate for the past five years, Sascha has seen how important command of language and words can be. Recognizing the unfortunately low literacy rates throughout Hawaii–compared to the rest of the US–he embarked to make a difference.
Ava Pakravan
Vice President
Ava is a high school student that is currently attending Punahou School. She enjoys dancing, drawing, playing the guitar, and giving back to the community during her free time. Currently, Ava is involved in Key Club at Punahou which aims to help the community in various ways. Ava has always wanted to make a difference and hopes to expand her service to the community through the Words4 organization.
Dr. Anthony Needham
Executive Board Member
Dr. Anthony Needham is a highly renowned dentist who graduated from UCSF school of Dentistry in 2002.
Growing up, Dr. Needham would spend three months of every year living in Hawaii with his family. Being of Hawaiian heritage–and having first hand witnessed the staggering literacy differences between Hawaii and California–Dr. Needham is a strong advocate of higher literacy rates in Hawaii. He is an Executive Board Member of Words4.
Mark Loughridge
Mentor and Adviser
