Chris has started her second year as a YES Reading tutor. She moved to the Bay Area from Wisconsin and decided to get involved in volunteer work. While posting items on Craigslist, she came across a volunteer recruitment listing for YES Reading. After visiting the website, she realized it was a good fit for her and became a tutor. She has built a wonderful rapport with her two students; one is a second grader and the other is a seventh grader. Her success and interest in working with students of various ages is an asset to YES Reading!
1) Why did you become a volunteer with YES Reading?I moved here two years ago after my husband took a new job and I had a lot of time and wanted to volunteer. I found out about YES Reading on Craigslist when I was posting things to sell. I like hands on volunteer work and the school year goes well with my schedule since I spend summers in Wisconsin.
2) What do you enjoy most about your work with YES Reading & the students in the program?The best part is working with the kids. I love that the kids are like sponges, soaking everything up and wanting to learn. The kids are so fun to watch, especially the younger ones!
3) What is your occupation/profession?For the last 24 years, I was a stay-at home mom and before that, I was involved in Human Resources. My current occupation is a being a volunteer!
4) Is there a particularly memorable student or experience from your time at YES Reading? Please tell us about it. I worked with Esteban last year and as a third grader he didn’t know the alphabet at the beginning of the year. Every session, he learned so much in a short amount of time. We played games, made flash cards and I would time him to see how long it would take for him to say the words. When he got stuck on a word, he would peek at the alphabet for a clue. It was enlightening to see a third grader who did not know the alphabet at the beginning of the year, and see him reading three and four letter words at the end of the year. He was also starting to read books from the Beginning Reader lessons. Esteban never stopped smiling and he had a twinkle in his eye!
5) How has your work with YES Reading impacted you? Continuing with the same student every year allows me to get to know the student as a whole. I like the connection and it’s fulfilling to get to know the kids. Also, the agency is very organized and it’s an easy place to volunteer.
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