06/04/2026
Before Michele entered her retirement, she began thinking about what type of volunteer work she wanted to do with her new free time. She was raised with the notion of giving back to the community, and also wanted to find something that would both interest and challenge her.
Michele learned about LVGH through a friend who had been tutoring with us. "I was impressed by how long LVGH has been around and all the resources available to students and tutors. The tutor training gave me an incredible sense of comfort, that I wasn't just being thrown into the classroom."
Michele is finding that this role is challenging her in the ways that she had hoped. As she has become more comfortable in the classroom, she has asked her students for input on what it is that they would like to learn.
“I work to find ways to give them the opportunities to succeed in whatever skill they want to improve on. They want to work on spelling, but just handing them a list of words to study doesn't work because of all the challenges they are facing outside the classroom. Instead, we work on consonant blends or word endings so they learn to break the words down into chunks.”
Michele looks at her role here as being a cheerleader and helping her students recognize that they are more capable than they think they are, that they can figure things out on their own.
“My students were already productive members of society and they have innate skills, even if they don't know the exact grammar or how to read specific words. What I really admire is how hard they work, how much they want to learn, and how much they want to be challenged to move forward. I am proud to play a small part in helping the students succeed.”
After over two years spent as a tutor with us, Michele is still glad to have chosen LVGH to volunteer her time. “What is so impressive about LVGH is that they look at the students holistically. It's not just about literacy—it's vaccines, clothes, food, health clinics, help with finding a job, childcare. It's not just focused on the individual, it's focused on the community and the next generation, too.”