Posts Tagged ‘tutor’

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Kristy White started tutoring at the Science Park site in May of 2021. She is a high school girl’s tennis coach, and describes herself  as a huge health and wellness geek. She discovered New Haven Reads when a friend of hers – a NHR tutor – forwarded her an email about summer internships that she thought Kristy’s teenager would be interested in. As she did a bit more research into the organization, Kristy was inspired to explore new volunteer opportunities. When asked what keeps her coming back to NHR she responded with, “No question, the kids keep me coming back. And I might secretly enjoy reading the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books along with my students.” (Don’t we all!) Kristy also stated, “What I love most about volunteering at NHR, is the mentor-like relationship.  I am not their mom or teacher – just another trusted adult who shows up for them.”

Kristy’s favorite books as a child were all of the Beverly Cleary, Nancy Drew, and Little House on the Prairie books. One of her all time favorites is Little Women.

Kristy shared an honest experience she had with a high school student of hers. He was reading different history pieces each week and sometimes wouldn’t know what a word meant. Kristy was stumped with trying to define it, so she took to Google. She emphasized that she will never pretend to have all answers, and that she is always learning too.

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This spring our students have been busy sharing the joy and power of reading in new ways. Take a look at our video below to see for yourself!

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Here at New Haven Reads we want to share some data and testimonials about the IMPACT our tutors are making as volunteers with us!

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Andrew Nguyen has been volunteering with New Haven Reads for two years at the Bristol Street location. He started volunteering back in 2019. He has always enjoyed working with the younger generation. Andrew states volunteering here has been a privilege because he is able to connect with the amazing children and help play a role in their education. He remembers having someone there for support when he was learning to read as a child and wanted to be there for someone else, because that experience was pivotal to his growth. “Being a volunteer tutor with NHR was a chance for me to give back, even if in the smallest way possible, and that’s important to me because it’s the small interactions that shape us into who we are and who we will become,” Andrew explains.

Something that keeps Andrew coming back is witnessing the growth in the children. “Seeing the moment they learn something new is an awesome feeling,” he says.  Each of his students have helped him become a better teacher and a better human being. He doesn’t hesitate to come back because the site directors make it positive and stand for a mission he fully support.

Thank you to Andrew and all our volunteers for their dedication to our mission!

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Often, the only thing that many tutors and interns at New Haven Reads have in common is an enormous heart, a love of reading, and a dedication to helping others. Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess where they are from, how they found out about the program, what led them to working with young students, and any other personal details. We cherish this diversity of passions, experiences, and personality, and we are continually surprised at the awe-inspiring individuals that join us to help our students.

Piper O’Keefe, an Education Department Intern, continues to amaze us with her depth of experiences and with her drive for helping our organization. Now a graduate student at Yale, Piper graduated from Gettysburg College in 2017 certain that she wanted to give back to others. While studying abroad in Germany and Rwanda, she realized that spending extended time in other countries provides an invaluable perspective. 

“You just learn so many new things while living in different areas, and you connect with people you absolutely would not have met otherwise,” Piper explained. 

Combining this desire for more time abroad with her dedication to create change in the world, Piper decided to join the Peace Corps. 

In the Peace Corps, she taught English in a rural high school in Sierra Leone. After returning to the United States, she received the Coverdell Fellowship, a program for returning Peace Corps Volunteers who wish to continue their service to underserved communities during graduate school.

After reflecting on how much she enjoyed her time teaching English in Sierra Leone, deciding how to continue her service while at Yale couldn’t have been easier.

“New Haven Reads seemed like a perfect chance to apply what I learned in Sierra Leone, and it allowed me to continue working with students during tutoring sessions,” Piper shared.

At New Haven Reads, she supports five students each week through individual tutoring sessions and assists the Education Department with various literacy projects.

Although the differences between the two experiences are clear — a full classroom versus one-on-one sessions, for starters — Piper cherishes her time at New Haven Reads, noting the similarities between her service abroad and in New Haven. 

“With teaching you realize how similar students are, no matter what country you’re in,” Piper said. “The same methods to get my students excited in Sierra Leone, I can use with my students here. The same look you can see in a student’s eye when they have a book they love, it’s the same look here as in Sierra Leone. It’s really exciting.”

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