Teen Essay Contest

As part of our Third Annual Celebration, we asked tutors to write a letter to their students telling them what the tutoring experience has meant to them.  Below are the winning essays, which were read aloud at this year's benefit, held May 5th at the New York Public Library.

Essay by Nicole, Read Alliance Tutor

Dear Alexia,

Before I started working at Read Alliance, if someone would have told me I’d have pictures, drawn by a first grader, all over my room, I would have thought they were crazy. Now, every day when I walk into my room and see your drawings, I smile because I know all of these were drawn just for me.

I will never forget tutoring you this past year at PS 44. I remember watching you walk into the classroom, smile, and come straight to me. I never realized how much I could impact a child’s life, or how much a child could change me. In the beginning of Read, you walked in and I asked you a simple question, “Do you like to read?” When you answered me saying, “No, not really,” I wasn’t really surprised. I didn’t think I could change that. I was wrong.

As I helped teach you how to read you learned new words and read longer and harder books. Towards the end of the Read program, I asked you again, “Do you like to read?” This time your answer shocked me. When you said, “Yes, I like reading. It’s fun,” I realized that I had changed how you felt about reading. Now that you can read, you like it so much more. That little change will help you so much in life. If you enjoy reading, and read a lot, you will excel in school.

I’ve learned how important it is for children to enjoy reading. Alexia, you have changed me so much this year. You have changed me in so many ways from teaching me new Spanish words, to helping me realize I want to become a teacher. I realized that teaching is something I want to do for the rest of my life. People may say that some children misbehave and are hard to teach. I know that is true, but it’s the little kids like you that make me positive that teaching is the choice for me.

Thank you so much, Alexia, for an experience I will never forget. I hope you had a wonderful time too and continue to brighten the lives of everyone you meet.

Your Friend,

Nicole

Essay by Tasfia, Read Alliance Tutor

Dear Read Student,

 In the short time I have known you, tutoring you has been a very rewarding experience.

I have tutored you for a short time, and from the first day I have seen a lot of improvement in you. The first day I tutored you, you seemed a little distracted and sometimes you did not pay attention. Luckily you are a wonderful student, and when I reminded you to stay on task you read your book and did just as I asked you. On the first day you made two mistakes but you quickly learned how to correct them. The next day, I saw that your attention was on the book, and I was especially proud when you didn’t make a single mistake while reading.

You may be my student, but you aren’t the only one learning from being in the Read program. I too am learning from tutoring you. I learned to be confident in myself since I am able to teach another person. I learned to interact with others and to understand their problems. I may be a tutor in the Read program, but you and everyone else in the program have been tutoring me on the subject of life.

You are my student and you mean a lot to me. Your success is my success because I am part of the things that helped you to reach your goal. I hope I can help you to be the best reader you can be.

Sincerely,

Tasfia