Service: 17.5 hours
This past summer, I was given the privilege of tutoring students through a program called Northwest Neighbors. This faith-based nonprofit organization works to help underprivileged students with their schoolwork and to encourage them to pursue a bright future. As a volunteer, I was assigned to help students with math and reading. During the math period, each student worked on a math packet containing important math concepts. My task was to help the students work through the problems they did not understand. I thoroughly enjoyed working with these students, and I especially enjoyed the precious moments when a student’s face lit up because he or she finally grasped a difficult concept. Although some of the students initially resisted the academic work, they progressed quickly when they finally settled down and began to work diligently. The students became so excited when they finished a page, and they began to compete with each other to see who could finish the most pages in the allotted math time; this inspired them to focus and to work harder. During reading time, I helped the students read their books. I enjoyed watching the students’ enthusiasm while they read and discussed the stories. Although I only volunteered for part of the summer, I had the privilege of watching the kids progress which was a truly rewarding experience. My experience volunteering reminded me of the importance of patience, and it reaffirmed that one receives joy from helping others.
This past summer, I was given the privilege of tutoring students through a program called Northwest Neighbors. This faith-based nonprofit organization works to help underprivileged students with their schoolwork and to encourage them to pursue a bright future. As a volunteer, I was assigned to help students with math and reading. During the math period, each student worked on a math packet containing important math concepts. My task was to help the students work through the problems they did not understand. I thoroughly enjoyed working with these students, and I especially enjoyed the precious moments when a student’s face lit up because he or she finally grasped a difficult concept. Although some of the students initially resisted the academic work, they progressed quickly when they finally settled down and began to work diligently. The students became so excited when they finished a page, and they began to compete with each other to see who could finish the most pages in the allotted math time; this inspired them to focus and to work harder. During reading time, I helped the students read their books. I enjoyed watching the students’ enthusiasm while they read and discussed the stories. Although I only volunteered for part of the summer, I had the privilege of watching the kids progress which was a truly rewarding experience. My experience volunteering reminded me of the importance of patience, and it reaffirmed that one receives joy from helping others.