SERVING KENYA

Ena Sikes

Kenya could not have been a better experience for me. It was a continuous process and took many months to prepare for this once in a lifetime opportunity. On this trip I finally realized what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I could almost remember every detail from that whole trip that led up to the moment I knew what God was calling me to do. I had spent my first day there resting because the next day we were going straight to work. The next day we went to the school that we would be working on for the next three days and met the most beautiful and talented little girls. They welcomed us with a song and after they came up to us and started to talk to us one by one. They had told us their hopes and aspirations and asked us what we wanted to do, I had no idea what I wanted to do. They were so fascinated with us and just wanted to know as much as they could about us. Later on that day we lifted bricks for hours and carried them around, most of us couldn’t wait for a break just to get water and some food in our stomachs, but still no one was complaining and we all had smiles on our faces.

After that I asked to work in the clinic. Most of that day I refilled medicine cabinets, helped do ultrasounds, watched a class that taught mothers how to do at home births just in case they couldn’t get to the clinic in time, and I played with the children and babies. It was such a simple day and when we got back to our camp could be made, it would be that “It needs to be more organized, and make it a requirement for some students who should be using it,” said Mrs. Lopez. The two math tutors had similar experiences working in the math labs. Fernando Montez, a senior student math tutor, shared that he also learns new things while he explains different concepts to students. He said, “Whenever they come to me, I try to read the book and try to understand it and try to explain it to them.” Showing students how to solve problems requires recalling previous concepts because different topics require various knowledge and skill. As he reviews earlier chapters, his mastery and understanding increase as well.

I shared what I did like we always did before dinner and as I was telling people I realized how much I would like to help people in the same way. So in that moment as my face lit up I knew that I wanted to help people who couldn’t help themselves, I want to be a doctor.

“Let’s say in pre-cal if I’m helping people study for a test, I don’t have to study separately because helping them helps me study,” says Montez. Not only that but helping students understand problems gives a sense of accomplishment. Adriel Garcia also agreed with this statement.

When asked about it, he said, “I learn new ways of teaching people stuff and concepts I didn’t learn when I was in that class.” He mentioned that teaching people also helps him find new ways to solve problems. Adriel’s favorite part about being a math tutor is getting to do both things he likes to do. “I like math, and I like helping people, so I guess my favorite part is helping people and tutoring people,” he said. Youjin Kong is a junior who frequently gets help from the math lab. Kong visits Mrs. Lopez almost daily, and she finds it very helpful that Mrs. Lopez’s specific teaching style caters to her understanding. “Sometimes, when I don’t understand a question because English is not my first language, she rewords it in easy English,” says Kong. Mrs. Lopez sits down with each student and individually addresses the problem step by step. Students can get individualized help solving problems

Aurora Gomez and learn different methods to approach the same questions. Tanya Lunga, a junior, agreed with this. “It’s really good because they can explain it in simpler terms than the teacher.” Tanya gets help directly from the tutors, usually around twice a week. When asked about the convenience of the math lab, Tanya said, “They are available when the teachers are in class and can help you understand from a different perspective.” If there had to be improvements made, Kong added that she would want more tutors, which would take less waiting time since the labs are crowded.

The writing lab requires writing assignments to go through the lab before they are turned in to the teachers. Mrs. Weisner said that doing this made a difference in the quality of the finished products for her students and Mr. Hallam’s students. Mr. Hallam is the junior and senior English teacher. What prompted the creation of the writing lab was Mrs. Weisner’s goal to give students the tools they need to write at a college level by the time they graduate, both as a school counselor and an English teacher.

Brooklyn Wishard, a senior writing tutor, expressed that working in the writing lab keeps her grammar

Activities

knowledge constantly refreshed. She wants to be an English teacher in the future, and working at the writing lab has given her unique exposure to coaching students with their grammar and understanding of collegelevel writing. “Im proud that I was considered to work in the wiring lab by Mrs. Weisner... it’s been a really valuable experience learning,” she explained. Being a tutor is also rewarding in aspects of watching students grow. Brooklyn’s favorite part of her job is “...working with other people and helping them realize that it’s [writing] not as difficult as they thought it was.” Solomon Lewis, a junior, finds the writing lab very helpful to his writing.

Every time a writing assignment comes back to him, he can make changes according to writing suggestions from the tutors. He said, “Not only does it help me get my work done on time, but it also gives me a better understanding of how to get it done well.” Meeting deadlines and getting work done on time can be a challenge for students, but the writing lab helps the quality of the papers go up as well as motivates students to reach their full writing potential. Thoughtful feedback can always be valuable. Solomon agreed by saying, “Tutors are kind, and they don’t mind repeating their words.”

The math and writing labs at Highland Academy are truly making a difference for the students. All of this has been made possible through the thoughtful collaboration of all teachers, and students who want to make a difference for anyone who reaches out for help.