Volunteer of the Year: LYNN WEGNER

We are thrilled to announce the 2023 Volunteer of the Year, Ms. Lynn Wegner! Lynn has been a supporter of TLC for over 25 years, yet her enthusiasm only seems to grow.

For the last several years, Lynn has been working with one of our brightest, spunkiest middle school students, Valeria. Knowing that Valeria does not typically love all things literacy, Lynn took a new approach this year and focused on one expansive project that sparked Valeria’s interest. Through a series of essays and short stories, Valeria wrote about where she comes from, who she is right now as a 7th grader and where she wants to go. This has led to quite a few fun revelations, such as her aspirations to be a veterinarian in Mexico and then retire from her practice at 50 and go to cosmetology school. Moreover, it has evolved into a beautiful documentary of how Valeria sees the world, and how she sees herself contributing to positive change.

As a tutor, Lynn does so much more than help Valeria with academics. Middle school can be an incredibly challenging time for kids as they navigate new social dynamics and rapid changes, but Lynn has been a constant rock of support and optimism.This has not only led to an increase in confidence and selfawareness, but massive growth in Valeria’s reading skills and grades. Even more impressive, the staff have noticed a dramatic change in Valeria’s attitude towards learning, and that is all thanks to Lynn!

This past year, Lynn has also acted as a mentor to many of the staff, providing encouragement and wisdom acquired over her decades working as a teacher in the classroom. She has donated technology and strollers to give to families in need, and brought treats for volunteer workshops. She even put together beautiful prize baskets for the winners of TLC’s first ever Story Slam!

We say this often, but we truly would not be able to support over 350 families without our team of dedicated volunteers. All of our volunteers, similar to Lynn, are having lasting impacts on the students they work with, and the community at large!