I wanted to work with children and I was pleasantly surprised when I found School on Wheels on the Internet. I wanted to help children who needed help and could not afford a private tutor. Seeing my student show up for his tutoring sessions with a smile always makes me smile too, confirming that volunteering is not only helping the students but helping me be happier as well. If you choose to volunteer as a tutor, you could be providing a positive difference in a young person’s life that will last a lifetime, one that, given the circumstances, that they might not otherwise have had.

I was thrilled when my student shared with me that he won a mathematics award at school. He recognized how helpful our math sessions were and he said regarding maths: “I finally get it now!!!”

I do always encourage people to become a volunteer tutor. I just tell them how one hour of our time can be so precious for these children. That hour with my student is definitely a highlight of my week. There are no words to describe how I feel… it’s so gratifying and fulfilling to know that I can have an impact on my student’s day, week, or even life

At the beginning of my 8th grade, I really wanted to volunteer and give back to my community. I wanted to help the underprivileged, and do something that will make an impact. I researched online for a while and finally found School on Wheels. Every time I think about underprivileged children, I think that if I were in their position, I would want the same help in order to succeed. When I first started tutoring, my 4th-grade student told me she was being teased for not being able to solve a math problem in class. After the first few weeks of tutoring, she told me she was able to solve all the problems given in class and that kids even asked her for help! If someone is considering volunteering as a tutor, I would tell them that they should try to put themselves in their student’s position and be willing to help them as much as possible. Remember that the student you are tutoring is underprivileged and does not have access to most of the resources we take for granted.

I was looking into volunteer organizations that aided the homeless, and I found School on Wheels online almost immediately. It was the perfect fit! In May of 2018 I moved to downtown Los Angeles. Even though I had been living in LA for a while and was aware of how large the homeless population was, I didn’t fully understand how bad things were until I started walking to work and passed by many familiar faces on the streets throughout my day. I work at a restaurant, and it was a pretty unsettling contrast, serving high powered executives with gorgeous office buildings, surrounded by luxury apartments, then walking home and passing by countless people who were begging for change to afford their next meal. I’m a huge believer in the motto, “None of us are well until we’re all well.” I believe it applies to the homelessness crisis perfectly.

These students can be so inspiring. I once had a sweet third grader ask me to proofread her essay. The topic was the future she saw for herself. Not only was it incredibly optimistic, well thought out, and full of self-confidence, but it ended with the sentence, “Thank you very much for reading this essay!” For me, it was definitely one of those “laughing through tears” situations. This girl faced more adversity than I could even imagine, yet walks through life with such a positive outlook and unrelenting gratitude. How can you not feel hopeful after that?