Joplin Nala Read

Student and Volunteer Success Stories

Joplin NALA Read volunteer tutor Nicole and her student proudly point to Jacie's High School Equivalency certificate. Not only did Jacie pass the exam, but she did so with honors! Her high score indicates college and career readiness and qualifies her for college scholarships. Jacie continues to meet with her tutor weekly as she prepares to start college next semester. When asked what motivated her to volunteer at NALA, Nicole said, "I love reading. And I feel very strongly that everyone should have access to education and information." Nicole's passion for literacy was evident from the time she first met with her student. Together they identified what material would best meet her student's needs and what method of instruction would work well for her student's learning style. We are grateful for our volunteer tutors, like Nicole, who work one-on-one with their students, helping them reach their full potential.

Joplin NALA Read volunteer tutor Kathleen and her student Sherry meet twice a week for one-on-one tutoring. Kathleen has retired as an Adult Education and Literacy instructor, but she has not retired from helping learners reach their full potential! Kathleen goes the extra mile to find just the right resources to help her student with reading, writing and math. Kathleen develops lesson plans to put those skills to work in Sherry's life. In addition to working one-on-one with Sherry, Kathleen also teaches a class on Monday evenings - and now Sherry is able to assist Kathleen as a teacher's aide.

Sherry recently expressed her thanks in a note to her tutor and we think she said it best. "I don't tell you enough thank you for all you do. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't know how to write these sentences. And I can read these at the store – snacks, chips, gluten-free. Now I can find food. I can tell time, most of it. I could go on and on and on and on, but the biggest thing is just to tell you THANK YOU"