Matt arrived upstairs at SDRT carrying books he had purchased. Before pairing him with a high school student, I asked what exactly the books were for. He showed me two thin, non-intimidating books titled, How to Start A Business and explained that his tenth grade student really wanted to start a business and he too was interested in learning about starting a business. So, he came prepared with two copies of this book to create a little book club for the two of them during these last few weeks of tutoring. I knew this would light up his student’s world. I remember when this particular kid arrived in our program six years ago as a timid fourth grader and marveled at the growth he has made—thanks to his many incredible tutors.
Tutors and volunteers going above and beyond for our kids is common. We see it every session. The one who leaves their high stress job early to sit in traffic for almost an hour to show up each week. The one who brings the perfect book they found at the library with the main character that looks identical to their student. The volunteers who arrive a half hour early to peruse materials and ‘be fully prepared’ for their student.
Our tutors and volunteers go above and beyond. They care immensely for our kids. We have 37 volunteers who have been with SDRT for more than five years—some for ten! This commitment and passion does not go unnoticed. It is, in fact, much of the reason so many of our kids keep on coming.