Power Tutors: October’s Volunteers of the Month are Terra Reed and Cole Grisham!
There’s a lot to love about summer, but as an organization based on education, it’s hard for us not to prefer fall. Fall! Not only do all the regular causes for celebration apply — there are apples and they are crunchy, there are leaves and they are also crunchy, there are pies and other delicious baked goods that may or not be crunchy — we at 826michigan have another very special reason to rejoice at the return of fall: THE TRIUMPHANT RETURN OF TUTORING. (It’s not, in case you were wondering, crunchy.)
Every Monday through Thursday afternoon during the school year, students aged 8-18 and volunteers of all ages converge in our tutoring lab to crush some calculus, beat biology, excel at essays, handle history, and all other ways you could think of to say “get that homework DONE”. When tutoring is happening, the air is a-buzz. And we love it.
We ALSO love THE TRIUMPHANT RETURN OF TUTORING for another important reason: it means we get to see great tutors like Cole Grisham and Terra Reed every week! Cole and Terra are BFFs and classmates in the Master’s of Urban Planning program at the University of Michigan. And, wouldn’t you know it, they’re both Volunteers of the Month!
Cole: Is not only a fantastic tutor, but did an extremely capable job stepping in as a one-day-a-week Tutoring Point Person to lead the program when last year’s tutoring intern Brandan (VotM December ’12) was out of town. In addition to his skills as a tutor, Cole has become known around these parts for his level head and dry sense of humor. (Both of these came into play on one memorable day in the 826michigan basement when he displayed his prowess as a cockroach-killer.)
Terra: Excellent tutor! Goes above and beyond the call of duty — she’s been working with a tutoring student ALL SUMMER by special appointment, helping her prepare for her ACT. Just joined the Ambassadors, 826michigan’s volunteer outreach committee, and is already doing a stellar job. Like Cole, has hidden skills! We’ve never seen her kill a cockroach, but we HAVE seen her tear up the ice at last winter’s volunteer ice-skating outing.
Dear Cole and Terra, your many talents make 826michigan’s tutoring program vibrant. Our students benefit every week from your kind and capable demeanor, and we benefit from knowing they’re in such great hands. With you two around, 826michigan is a better place!