Ten years ago I spent one hour a week reading to a little girl as part of an elementary school reading program.
This week, she asked if I would write her a letter of recommendation for her application for a scholarship to Allen Community College.
I about fell out of my chair.
As a youth, Ashley struggled with multi-syllabic words. The concepts of a bigger world communicated in the books were often beyond her ken. Frequently she’d try to divert the task at hand with a “You know what?” and launch off with some outrageous story. She had a bit of Tom Sawyer in her, seeing if I could easily shock.
Trouble was, I knew her stories were probably not far off the mark and when years later she dropped out of high school I feared the writing was on the wall that she would have a life of limited opportunities.
I sold Ashley short.
Today, she’s a wife and doting mother of one son with her sights on becoming a teacher.
“We wear the library out,” she said of their frequent trips for books and more books.
Ashley is the first person in her family to pursue a higher education. Her first year at ACC was done through online courses so she would not be separated from her son. Her marks? All A’s and B’s. Next year her son begins preschool, freeing her up to attend classes on campus.
I was but one of many mentors associated with the HOSTS program, which stands for Helping One Student To Succeed.
“There’s nothing quite like the effectiveness of a one-on-one relationship,” said Carla Mueller, a Title I instructor at Jefferson Elementary School who worked with the program.
After a successful run of about 13 years the program ceased several years ago, the victim of budget cuts and education’s ongoing search for new and better.
My short time with the program gave me insight on the critical role a teacher can have in a student’s life and how we should sing their praises loud and clear.
In life, things don’t always add up right away. Actions don’t always yield the desired results.
But sometimes, they do.
