Blog

Literacy First tutors take a multitude of paths after their service. Many discover a passion for education and a talent for teaching, like returning tutor Bilyesia. Last year, she told us about her personal journey, and this year she is applying for our Region 13 alternative teaching certification program (and she’s on the cover of […]

Sebastian is one of Literacy First’s five extraordinary tutor supervisors. Over his years of working in elementary education, he has seen firsthand the persistent challenges faced by students in high-poverty schools. In this blog, Sebastian talks about a lesser-known challenge, a determined tutor, and an inspiring student.  By Sebastian Wren, Literacy First Senior Program Coordinator […]

Edmond, a second-year tutor, vividly describes the rewards of seeing the transformation of a child as they learn to read in this essay. Thanks, Edmond! By Edmond Carroll, 2017-18 Literacy First tutor It is not every day that you are personally blessed with the opportunity to see your faith rewarded, as well as your hard […]

By Courtney Mallen, Literacy First Development Specialist “Are you sure you don’t want anything?” Stewart Jarmon, 33, sets his glass on the table at Zocalo Café, an airy-industrial modern Mexican place in central Austin. It’s not busy yet – we arranged to meet early, just before the Study Social Committee meeting. The committee is almost […]

Literacy First tutors provide support to over 30 community nonprofits each year. (In fact, last year, they provided over 8,000 hours of service around Austin!) For Roxana, working at Latinitas was another way to build empowerment for a community she cares for deeply. Here’s why. By Roxanna Torres, 2017-18 Literacy First tutor My community partnership […]

Many Literacy First tutors come to the program with an unchanneled drive to create social change and leave with a clear sense of their next steps. Amy, a first-year tutor, reflects on what she’s seen in the program, and what it means for her service journey.  By Amy Wasetis, 2017-18 Literacy First tutor I started […]

As literacy advocates, all of us at Literacy First know that reading about new worlds broadens minds. This knowledge becomes even more powerful when we see it in our students. First- year tutor Aleisha Galindez tells us what that experience looked like for her. By Aleisha Galindez, 2017-18 Literacy First tutor One of my favorite […]

Every year, we recruit tutors from fascinating backgrounds. Many are recent college graduates exploring possibilities beyond their studies. Some tutors discover that their calling is drastically different from their field of study. Annie, who originally studied monkeys, is one of these tutors…. By Annie Shupp, 2017-18 Literacy First tutor When I first began my year […]

By Brooke Long, 2017-18 Literacy First Tutor Many of the Literacy First tutors are surprised by how much more there is to their teaching experience than just the tutoring session. Literacy First certainly helps the children we serve, who are as young as five in the program but we often help the tutors learn life skills […]