LVA Student and Tutor Profiles

Student's Corner....
Compensating

The company's constantly sending us to school to learn new technologies, having people come in to talk to us about brake systems, power steering systems, refrigeration, what have you. They tell us what we're supposed to look out for, how we're supposed to handle these things, and a lot of my co-workers take notes, but I can't write them. I have no idea how to change another person's thoughts into print because I don't know how to spell. So when I listen, I really have to concentrate on the person speaking. I can't be bothered with the other people in the room. I have to block everyone else's comments completely out of my mind and pay attention to the speaker so I'll be able to grasp everything. I've been working with most of those other mechanics for all these years and they still don't know I can't read. Sometimes I feel ashamed of it, and a lot of times it hurts.

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Tutor's Corner....
Never Too Late... by Donna Kusman

When I first decided to tutor, I felt I needed to give back to the community—I was fortunate to have a good life, and volunteerism was a way to show my appreciation for being so blessed. How little then did I realize that tutoring was yet another gift bestowed on me, and while it is true that I was giving time and energy to someone, what I gained back equaled if not surpassed what I was giving out, truly. And that is because of my wonderful student, Moureen Hutchinson.

Moureen and I have had our student-tutor relationship since October of 2004; frankly it would last indefinitely—until she felt she’d accomplished her goals—except that I have an opportunity to live and work in Europe that I’ve decided to pursue. In the last 3.5 years Moureen has taught me a few lessons—the skill of patience, the art of friendship, and the sheer joy of accomplishment. Had I learned those lessons before? Yes, and working with Moureen renewed them and made me appreciate the value of each a bit more keenly. I will miss out time together as I move to Europe, though I know we will be in touch and I will look forward to her written letters as much as I look forward to writing my own to her.

Not a lesson went by where Moureen doesn’t implore me, “Have patience with me”! She thanks me profusely, of course, for each session we have. Her gratitude is so genuine that I am moved to sheer joy at having spent the time with her and done something “good” in my volunteerism. After every session I leave with my spirit heightened because Moureen has accomplished something in that session, recognized it, and recognized me for guiding her to that point.

Moureen comes several hours early to devote time to reading or to assign writing. She seems dedicated to making me proud, I know, by doing well. I smile broadly when I see her looking up a word in the dictionary or reading aloud in the library before our scheduled start time. This is the kind of student a tutor cannot believe has been assigned to them!

In our time together I am proud to say that we have become friends; we share stories of our job, our lives, and our families. Moureen has helped me through one of the most difficult tragedies--losing a spouse--by being patient with me, by asking about my feelings, by respecting my privacy when I wasn’t able to talk. And, can you believe she’s even fed me? She came to my office one day with Jamaican specialties that she knew I loved (my husband and I frequented Negril and even got married there)—it was wonderful, and so thoughtful as to make me both smile and cry as I recount it now.

I had not realized how much I enjoyed teaching, so much so that I am considering obtaining my master’s degree in Education, another gift from my relationship with my student.

So, you tell me—who really is gaining more: student, or tutor? I know what my answer is.

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