Upon opening my acceptance letter for TIPS, I was filled with excitement that I got paired with Team Read. I knew beforehand that Team Read is a meaningful organization that works to address the education disparities amongst low income and diverse communities.
I was excited but I am also an introverted person, and the thought of teaching a large group
of students made me nervous. However, Team Read welcomed me with kindness and gave
me a strong support system that guided me to success. My time with Team Read has given
me invaluable experience in the education and non-profit field. I am extremely lucky to spend
my summer with Team Read, which allowed me to grow and gain many valuable and new
skills.
During my time there, I was responsible for leading enrichment activities, which included
read-aloud lessons, games, and crafts. One of my favorite parts of this role was selecting
books from the library, where I found many stories with valuable lessons. Each book I chose
taught life lessons such as taking risks, building a community, overcoming fears, adaptation,
and being true to yourself. I was filled with joy to work with young readers as well as
witnessing their growth and engagement. Every single hand raised for questions and answers
amazed me because of how insightful they were. I not only saw the engagement among
kids but also in coaches. The bonds and connections that formed between the coaches
created a supportive and safe community. Being a part of the team allowed me to build strong relationships and make lifelong friends.
Apart from leading the enrichment activity, I also worked closely with Team Read staff, where
I assisted with many projects such as inventorying books, reviewing surveys, social media,
and supporting events. By observing and helping staff I was able to experience hands-on
learning and stimulate the real-world career settings. Just a span of one year Team Read
served 453 readers and 440 teen reading coaches in total. It was truly incredible to see
how big an impact Team Read had made.
Some standout moments for me included seeing the progress of a young reader. When I first
did my read aloud lesson, he was extremely shy and quiet, but over time, he began raising his
hand to ask questions and share his thoughts with the entire group. Another memorable
moment was reviewing students’ work about building a community. I had noticed many
students included their reading coach in their community. It was heartening to see the strong
connection between readers and coaches.
Throughout my time at Team Read, I realized I had made an impact when a group of kids
came to thank me for my time and hugged me goodbye. It was a heartwarming experience
and showed how much the kids appreciated my time there. In the future, no matter what path
I go, I want to continue to support and give a good education to every kid, as everyone
deserves to learn and succeed academically as well in life.