Meet Sophia Fan, 17: Books under stairs inspired nonprofit sharing 7,000+

Nobody would have thought that a forgotten cupboard of books under the stairs would give someone an idea that would eventually reach thousands of children in the United States and other countries.

The 17-year-old student from Urbana, Maryland, Sophia Fan, started collecting and redistributing used books when she was just 13, and her initiative, Literacy Cycle, has now donated more than 7,000 books in just four years.What began with books that were no longer in use has grown into a nonprofit that collects Advanced Placement (AP) textbooks, SAT preparation materials and children’s books for young people who may not have easy access to them. According to PEOPLE, Literacy Cycle has expanded beyond Maryland, with chapters in five other US states and an international chapter in Rwanda.

How a cupboard full of old books inspired the initiative

Fan, now a senior at Urbana High School, had been surrounded by books since childhood. One of her early favourites was a My Little Pony book that she remembers taking her into another world. Years later, while sorting through books she had outgrown, she came across a collection that had been left unused and began thinking about how the stories and learning materials could reach and help other children as well.In an interview with PEOPLE, Fan recalled finding the cupboard under the stairs filled with books she had used as a child, including stories she had forgotten about.

Rather than leaving them there, she wanted to share them with students who could make use of them.The idea also came from her experience growing up in China, where she noticed that children could have very limited access to educational resources and materials, depending on their families and schools. She carried that observation with her to the US and began thinking about how used books could help bridge those gaps in access.

Education is something that should be a basic human right, and nobody should be left behind because of a lack of money.As Fan explained, she wanted learning to be less of a financial burden for students and their families. Textbooks, in particular, can be expensive, even when students need them for only a limited period.

From used AP textbooks to more than 7,000 books

Fan first approached five students at her high school with the idea of passing on the AP books they had finished using to students who could not afford them.

The initiative was initially called AP Cycle, reflecting its focus on helping educational materials find new readers instead of remaining unused after exams.The project later became Literacy Cycle as its work expanded beyond textbooks. Today, the organisation accepts different kinds of reading and learning materials, including books for younger children and SAT preparation guides.In a September 2026 profile published by Points of Light, Fan described the work involved in running the initiative, from organising book drives and sorting donations to contacting community organisations, coordinating distributions and recruiting volunteers.

The organisation also encourages students to establish and manage their own chapters, helping the project reach communities beyond Fan’s immediate area.The work involves more than collecting books and packing them into boxes. Fan has spoken about learning to approach organisations, build partnerships and follow up when initial emails go unanswered. She said that researching the right contacts and reaching out to people directly involved in book transportation helped her establish connections that made international distribution possible.

How Literacy Cycle reaches children in the US and abroad

Literacy Cycle now works with several organisations in Maryland to distribute books to readers who can benefit from them. One of its partners, Books for International Goodwill, helps send books to countries including Gambia, Nigeria and Uganda. The nonprofit has also worked with the Children of Incarcerated Parents Partnership and the Asian American Center of Frederick.Since 2022, the organisation has distributed more than 7,000 books.

The books are not limited to one age group or subject. While used AP textbooks can help students prepare for advanced classes, children’s books give younger readers the chance to discover stories and interests of their own. For Fan, a book that one student has finished using may still be useful to someone else, whether it helps them explore a new subject, prepare for an exam or find a story they enjoy.

What Sophia Fan plans to do next

Fan received a Daily Point of Light award from the nonprofit Points of Light in recognition of her volunteer work. The recognition, she told PEOPLE, was meaningful to her, and she hopes it will encourage other young people to take up community initiatives of their own.Despite managing Literacy Cycle alongside school and other commitments, Fan hopes to continue overseeing the organisation when she goes to college. She plans to study public or global health and explore health disparities around the world, an interest that also reflects her concern about unequal access to resources.Her advice to other students is to begin with a cause they care about rather than waiting until they have every detail figured out.

In her own case, the first step was finding books that were no longer being used and looking for organisations that could put them to use.Four years later, that simple effort has developed into a network distributing thousands of books across borders. For Fan, the idea remains much the same: educational material that one person has finished with can still open up new possibilities for someone else.