Speed Trials

Well, here I am, Ms. Lillie, back to writing blogs. I just graduated from the great Lakeland College in rural Sheboygan, Wisconsin. I learned a lot there, and made plenty of friends... and I miss them dearly. In my final year I was the Editor-In-Chief of the college newspaper, the Lakeland Mirror, as well as a Resident Assistant, Assistant Editor of Seems Magazine, and a Writing Tutor. Oh, and I was finishing my senior Writing Project at the same time.

But now I'm on a new adventure for at least a year or two. I joined the AmeriCorps in Monterey County, a program where members will tutor K-4 kids to improve their reading skills. That makes me... a literacy tutor, hooray!

The first week of real work has ended. I spent the entirety of Friday sitting in the Social Services office, trying my best to get food stamps. You see, our small stipend allows for a tiny living allowance - so small, in fact, that we qualify for $300 worth of food stamps every month.

I'm working at a school in Salinas called the MLK Academy, which houses kids from 4th to 6th grade. I think we might be in the most equipped school in the program - we get our own classroom to work in, and the teachers are wonderfully open to having us. They've been welcoming and kind so far, and the kids seem excited for the attention. You see, recently the school had to collapse a class, and so many teachers have more than 30 students, which means the students aren't getting the attention they need.

And that's where we come in! We work with students who need our help in many ways - academically, but also sometimes socially and personally. I'm excited to get the chance to make a difference in their lives.

Wish me luck.

Lillie