Alumni Feature: Terry Chapel
Terry Chapel had been in the medical field for several years when she found herself longing for a new career. Looking for a career change, she decided to make the move from Oklahoma to Minnesota. That’s when she learned about Reading Corps.
As a lifelong lover of reading, joining Reading Corps seemed like the perfect opportunity. Terry also recognized the great need for tutors. “I was surprised by the statistics,” she shared. “I was sad so many students don’t have the tools to succeed and wanted to give them the opportunity to read and find joy in it like I do.”
While serving with Reading Corps at the YWCA Downtown Children’s Center, Terry built relationships with the children, families and staff. During her second year of service, the director encouraged her to enroll in their Child Development Associate (CDA) course. After receiving her CDA credential, Terry was offered a full-time position as an Assistant Toddler Teacher at the YWCA.
In her new role, Terry still leans on the skills she gained as a tutor. The children she teaches are younger, but she still finds many ways to incorporate what she learned from Reading Corps into their daily lessons. In fact, you can often find her students singing along to the Reading Corps “Alphabet song”.
“Reading Corps was such a wonderful experience,” Terry says. “It totally changed the direction of my life. Without Reading Corps, I never would never become a preschool educator or discovered the joy I have found in working with kids.” If you are a career changer yourself, consider tutoring and make an incredible impact like Terry did.
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