As we were compiling data, we realized that a few of our tutors are reaching truly impressive milestones. One such tutor, Joyce MacDonald, just reached 950 volunteer hours; however, this does not even include volunteer hours before fiscal year 2020. Since Joyce started volunteering in 2014, it's safe to say that she has donated well over 1,000 hours of service. She has worked with 8 different students, led a basic-level group, and volunteered in our library.
Her perserverance is an exemplar for all of our tutors, especially those just starting out. Joyce wrote of starting her time here at LVCA:
"As a recent widow, I wasn’t sure how to live my life; I thought I’d try tutoring. The first several sessions were rocky. It was winter and my student often didn’t come or didn’t call to let me know. I was quite overprepared and started with a lot of insecurity.
"Without a teaching background, tutoring has been very challenging for me and has been difficult to know how to help my students function in an English-speaking environment. All the variables—speaking, reading, writing and navigating this world are overwhelming. The triumphs, though, are spectacular.
"Somewhere along the way, I’ve learned that I really like teaching grammar, as frustrating and annoying as English is. However, the most rewarding part is the emotional connection. How else would I meet and get to know people from all over the world who have had both difficult and triumphant lives? Their cultures, traditions, and, sometimes, values are so different from anything I’ve known. I’ve loved them all and have learned much more from them than I’ve ever taught (or tried to teach) them."
