Every July my family and friends say it feels like I dropped out of life. Instead of enjoying the slower pace of summer life, I spend three hours, four evenings a week tutoring students in the Talent Development Program at the University of Rhode Island. My family adapts their lives and instead of a lazy Sunday evening dinner on the deck, we have breakfast or lunch. Friends know that emails will slow and my opportunities to spend time with them will diminish. I tell friends tutoring is comparable to their favorite television show or book. That my entertainment, my movie or favorite series, my page turner is the one created in a very intimate classroom setting. For me, television and books try to emulate life, and tutoring is living what is portrayed on the screen in high-definition or what is written in the books. Only instead of great writing, I am exposed to the living adjectives. I am one of the main characters in the summers’ hottest movie or years’ best seller.
Talent Development is a program which allows students who might not have the opportunity to attend college gain access to a college education. And while at first look, you might ask yourself why some of these students are in this program, there is always an underlying story. For six weeks they live a structured life with many safety nets in place. I am part of the braided rope in the net which provides love, support, guidance, parenting, teaching and mentoring to these youth.
This is my life during the month of July. By week three, my midpoint, sheer exhaustion sets in and like clockwork I say, never again! What am I doing here? I should be relaxing, breathing, living! I coined week three as my hell week. Much like the athlete who pushes through their brutal summer practices, by week three, I have given my students every bit of my energy and the well is dry.
However, the very students who have exhausted me, seem to channel the energy back to me ten-fold. And so below is the story of my energy drink. One I will share with you. And even though it is not spring, I have already decided that if asked, I will return next year. For I realize eighteen evenings in July could very well be one of the chapters in my life’s unpublished best seller.
As tutorial sessions began this year one student in particular caught my attention. She was also the one who sucked the energy from me. Sasha* spent the first two evenings giggling. At times, her laughter was so out of control that she realized that she was disrupting the tutorial session and left the room until she could regain her composure. I began to think, here we go again! No focus, finds tutorials a waste of time and is going to suck more energy from me than all of the other students put together! And so for the first two weeks I committed to myself that this is it. This is my final year. But, as always, life is not what it seems.
Week two began and this student who seemed immature suddenly presented a mature cultured woman who is well prepared for tutorial each evening. Engaged in conversation Sasha is sharp, witty, and well informed on a number of levels. She is a trained CNA, confident and self-assured. Sasha has life. Her essence is what I call class. She is compassionate, caring and driven. But, this in and of itself is not that unique with young adults. Often, it is not about young adults not having it. It is about adults seeing it. But I suppose that is why I love teaching because like most who work with young adults, we see their qualities and desire to work for the better of our society
Wednesday evening Sasha asked me how old I thought she is. Based on our conversations I said, probably twenty-two. She then asked me if she “looked” that old. I told her no, that my perception is based on the many conversations we have engaged in and that she is focused and recognizes the importance of education. In one conversation Sasha also told me she lives alone. To my amazement, Sasha told me she is sixteen. Sixteen, living alone and in college! And then this mature, cultured, self-sufficient woman told me she was accepted at Brandeis University with a 94% financial support package.
I believe Sasha is not the exception however represents what every young adult dreams about. Like each of our young adults, she has goals. Some may not express them, some might suppress them because of family needs, however within each is the desire to contribute to our society and have a successful life.
Last evening the students gave me the grade they received on their second test. Each grade was significantly higher than their first. One student, who received a 56 on his first test, received a 90 on his second. Another went to the corner of the room pumping his fist in the air when he found out he received 92 – up from a 68. Sasha received the highest this time. She received a 99.
This is eighteen days in July. I do not give up anything. I gain everything. I have the best seat in the theatre for this star studded emmy!
*names are changed to protect the identity.
