Lois Kane!
First things first. It’s obvious, right? OF COURSE we are going to start with the name. We know that’s what you’re thinking. And you’re right, sort of. Because what we’re REALLY going to start with is the application. As in, Lois Kane filled out an application to volunteer with us, and our first thought was, Lois Kane. No kidding. What a great name. Then we looked at her birthday, and saw that she was older than many of our volunteers, which intrigued us, as we are always trying to diversify our volunteer base.
THEN she came to orientation. She seemed very . . . serious. She asked questions that sounded very . . . serious. She left with a look on her face that was very . . . serious. Amy turned to Rachel and said something to the effect of: “Well, I don’t know if we’ll ever see Lois Kane again.” They both felt sort of sad about it.
And THEN, Lois started tutoring. Every week. And not only was she SUPER reliable, it turns out that she’s a SUPER good tutor. (What else could we expect from almost-Superman’s almost-girlfriend?) At 73, she manages to relate on a much more organic level to our students than many of our volunteers who are practically peers. She’s patient. She’s sweet. She’s happy to admit when she doesn’t know something, and–even better–enjoys using that as a teaching tool with whomever she’s tutoring. Not knowing how to do something is never a hindrance, but rather an opportunity to work with the student so that they can both learn it together.
Furthermore, and this is one of the very best parts, she gets along FAMOUSLY with one of our most challenging students. So much so that she’s agreed to come to tutoring almost every day to work with this particular student. It is amazing. It is fabulous. It is an amazing and fabulous thing for us, as this student is now getting EXACTLY the kind of focused, consistent help so needed.
When we asked Tutoring Intern Eric Canosa what we should be sure to mention about Lois Kane, he put it pretty succinctly: “That she’s really friendly and caring and one of the most youthful people I know.”
So, Lois Kane: We love you. We think you are the BEST. Thank you so much for all that you’ve done for us: From tutoring to being a great friend to brightening the lab every time you walk into it.