Service

In the last year, I’ve gotten to mentor and tutor three students in the Bronx weekly: A, a second-grader who always wanted to save time at the end to show me her art projects; S, a second-grader who I didn’t get to meet with many times but was always curious about my ballet background; and E, a fifth-grader and avid baseball player who was “excited but a little nervous” for middle school. 

My relationship with E was particularly special, as we got very comfortable with each other and both were really sad that he wouldn’t be in Reading Partners when he moved to middle school. At the beginning of our Wednesday session, we would always debrief our weekends, and at the end of our weekly Friday session we would share what we were looking forward to that weekend. I made sure to remember what he shared with me and ask about his baseball tryouts and games. 

As E and I grew closer, his confidence grew–he always had his camera on, he wasn’t afraid to make mistakes and ask questions, and he would even volunteer to alternate pages with me when it was time for the Tutor Read Aloud book. The year ended with a special moment when E read a poem with confidence and expression for our recorded end-of-year celebration that was shared with all of our stakeholders.

As we delve into another year of tutoring, I’m looking forward to building relationships with more students in the Bronx, and maybe even reconnecting with some of my past students! There’s nothing more inspiring than witnessing growth in a young student and getting to play a positive and encouraging role in their academic journey!

If you’re curious about tutoring with Reading Partners (we are in 13 regions across the United States!), visit our website. You can make a difference in the life of a child with just one hour a week!

The Pell Grant can currently give up to $6,495 of aid, which does not have to be paid back, to low income college students. For some, this is a major part of their financial aid package, if not their only source of grant aid. Any change in the grant would need to go through federal legislative bodies to be included in the higher education budget. If included in the funding plans for federal higher education programs, doubling the Pell would bring the maximum grant awarded to $13,000. Additionally, the Pell Alliance is asking for the program to be extended to DREAMers and restore lifetime eligibility to 18 semesters of aid, rather than the 12 currently allowed. These changes would effectively extend the reach of the program, providing students who would normally have to take on many loans the chance to graduate with little to no debt.  

As I watch the students I serve apply to and progress through college, it becomes more and more clear to me that one of the biggest barriers to college access is figuring out how to pay the bill, rather than acceptance itself. Doubling the Pell Grant would allow so many students I serve access to the funds they need and allow them to focus on school rather than finances. Additionally, $6,500 more could be the difference between graduating with or without debt. Being student-centered is one of the most important values at Breakthrough Greater Boston, and a change like this could vastly improve the lives of our students. This work has added so much passion behind a monotonous task like filling out the FAFSA, and given me opportunities to learn about and understand my work more deeply. 

 A lot of my learning as a Fellow has been practical, developing key skills that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. However, staying up to date on federal and state trends has taught me that college access work extends beyond what I do at the office. The educators, counselors, and supporters of the Double Pell movement are going beyond direct service, to address root causes of student barriers. Following the activism of the Pell Alliance has shown me the role that the federal government can play in educating the youth of our nation, and I will continue to support the progress of the Double Pell change as it moves through the legislative process.