Fellow Reflections

Find Direction

“After graduating from college, like a lot of other young adults my age, I felt very lost and confused about where I was going in life. I still had no idea what I wanted to do, no idea where I wanted to go, and no idea of what to do in the meantime. This year has been a transformative experience for me. Never would I have thought I would be leaving for a teaching job just one month after the end of this program.”

Rachel, 2018-19 Reading Assist Fellow

Be Inspired as an Educator

“My year of service delighted me. It made me feel joyful and young again. It also benefited me by allowing me to be challenged during the training portion of service, and the beginning stages of lesson planning. I felt accomplished when my students improved, and as I learned about how to become a good teacher. My entire experience with Reading Assist led me to consider a second career in education.”

Lynn, 2019-20 Reading Assist Fellow

Become a Safe Place

“One of my students, Bianca*, was very shy when we first started meeting. Slowly she began speaking more and opening up. By our third month together, she had become such a high-energy, babbling, giggly kid! She would see me and immediately want to tell me anything that was on her mind. As she opened up, her performance improved exponentially. She needed to know that my classroom was a safe space to be herself, and once she let me in, she started to believe me when I told her she could do anything she set her mind to, and that making mistakes is perfectly normal.”
*name changed for privacy

Sally, 2019-20 Reading Assist Fellow

Find Greater Focus

“Although I knew that I wanted to pursue social work before I started with the [Reading Assist] Corps, I was curious about how my year of service would prepare me for this career. After my time with Reading Assist, I feel much more prepared to begin a career in social work because of my experiences working in a school setting one-on-one with students. This year, I gained so much helpful insight about working with children, embracing teamwork, and communicating with various types of people. I have decided that I will pursue school social work!”

Cheyenne, 2018-19 Reading Assist Fellow