Jennifer had never considered herself to be good at math. Even coming from a family of educators, she had never planned to go into education herself. Yet today, she spends her days helping Fresno area students learn to work through math problems and find solutions as a math tutor.
After seeing a news story back in 2020 highlighting that kids would need extra academic support coming out of the pandemic, Jennifer felt inspired to find a way to help. As it turned out, her community was looking for Math Corps tutors so she decided to apply. “I quickly learned that you don’t have to be a math person to be a math tutor,” Jennifer explains. “You just need to have the willingness to try.”
According to Jennifer, the best parts of tutoring are the connections you build with students. She finds it so rewarding to watch them build their skills and confidence throughout the year – the positive impact of tutoring quickly becomes apparent.
The biggest breakthrough with students often comes when they realize how valuable math is. “My dad had always said, ‘Math is your friend, math will always be there for you, and you will always need it in life’,” Jennifer shares. “I try and share that perspective with the kids.”
Now in her second year of service, Jennifer is contemplating what’s next. Having discovered a passion for working with kids, she recently added educational leadership coursework to her college studies. “AmeriCorps opened doors for me and pushed me to think about more possibilities for my future,” she says.
Jennifer recognizes that it can be a big leap to become a math tutor, but she encourages others to give it a try. “Service with AmeriCorps offers such a unique experience, and you’ll take away so many new skills,” she explains. “I have grown so much professionally through service already and I’m excited about what’s next for me this year.”
Is your next big step service with Math Corps? Visit readingandmath.org/programs/math-corps/ to learn more.