When teacher Lexi McClelland first met Mary in 2020 at Elm Tree Elementary in Bentonville, Arkansas, the energetic student instantly stood out by introducing herself in a playful, unforgettable way. Beyond her humor, Mary proved to be bright, imaginative, and deeply passionate about reading, quickly becoming one of McClelland’s favorite students. At the time, Mary was living in her fourth foster placement.
Over time, the teacher and student developed a strong relationship that felt almost destined. Friends and members of their community even compared them to Matilda and Miss Honey from Roald Dahl’s Matilda because of their shared love of books and their caring connection. McClelland said she felt grateful and believed faith guided the journey.
Mary’s childhood had been unstable due to neglect and substance abuse issues in her biological family, leading her into foster care. Despite changing homes and schools several times, she immediately felt safe and cared for in McClelland’s classroom. The two bonded through Mary’s creativity and curiosity, including her imaginative ideas for making reading more fun in class.
McClelland often spoke with her husband, Max, about wanting to help Mary more. Initially, they believed another family would adopt her, but when those plans collapsed in 2021, McClelland was able to welcome Mary into their home through a kinship placement arrangement while pursuing foster care certification.
Mary moved in with the family in September 2021 and adapted quickly. A few months later, on Christmas Eve, Lexi and Max surprised her with a heartfelt adoption proposal hidden inside a children’s book about finding a forever home. After realizing what they were asking, Mary was overwhelmed with emotion.
In April 2022, the couple officially adopted her during an emotional courthouse ceremony. Since then, the family has created many happy memories together, including celebrating Mary’s love for Harry Potter with a special trip to Universal Studios. They also welcomed a baby boy, Murphy, last year.
Although McClelland sometimes wishes she could have been part of Mary’s life from the beginning, she believes everything ultimately came together the way it was meant to. Now preparing to enter eighth grade, Mary reflects on how her family grew together through love and learning from one another.
