During my senior year of high school I was looking for scholarships that would help me pay for college. Through my searching online, I found out about the Page Education Foundation. The mission of the Page Education Foundation is, “to encourage Minnesota’s youth of color to pursue post-secondary education.” Every year that I submit a service to children program, I am financially supported. Each year I am to find a location to tutor at; usually tutoring students from grades of 3rd to 8th grade. This year I had the opportunity to find a location near St. Kates, on Lake Street there is a Hennepin County Library with an after school tutoring service. I started volunteering in March and will be finishing up in late May.
Since March I’ve been tutoring every Monday and Tuesday from 5:30-7:30pm. I get off class and head over to Lake Street to help elementary, middle school, or even high school students. At first it was very hard for me to think about how I was using my time because I could be doing my own homework and going to activities on campus. Instead, I started realizing how much affect my help has on students. Most of the students I tutor are students of color and being a student of color myself, I couldn’t imagine tutoring anywhere else but at this library! The conversations I’ve had with younger students gets me out of my ‘adult zone’ and ‘college student style’.
Every Monday and Tuesday I look forward to these times as I’ve become closer with the tutors and the students. I wouldn’t have this opportunity if it wasn’t for the Page Education Foundation. If you are a student of color that graduated from a Minnesota high school and are attending a post-secondary institution, and do not have this scholarship, I would totally recommend to look into it!
Here are three reasons why I love having to tutor in my life:
1. I Zone Out
During these two hours, two times a week, I step into a different position and forget about other responsibilities I have. It’s great getting out of my community and giving back to another community. I get to meet more people and learn more about the twin cities.
2. Teaching
I may not have superb skills in mathematics or science, but I like having to break my head alongside with a student. When we’re finally able to resolve the problem, we both get real excited! We have big triumph smiles on our faces and that moment is worth so much to me.
3. Relationships
Bonding with younger girls and boys is like no other kind of bonding. They ask the strangest questions and sometimes super intellectual ones too. The relationships I’ve made with these students make me feel important and I’m sure they feel just as important. I’m huge on stories, so creating these relationships allows me to hear the lives these students are living. It’s an eye-opener and I’m so glad I’m a part of their lives.