Mentor Spotlight: Annie Wong and Kelly Lane

mentor spotlight anniekelly

When did you start volunteering with Read Ahead?

Kelly: I started volunteering in the beginning of 2016, so this is my second year.

Annie: I started volunteering with Read Ahead in 2002.

What inspired you to pick Read Ahead?

Kelly: Sullivan & Cromwell LLP is one of Read Ahead’s partners and was offering this volunteering opportunity and it seemed like a really great program.  I was an English major in school so reading is really important to me. This seemed like an easy and convenient way to get involved.

Annie: At the time, I was also coaching a neighborhood volleyball and basketball team for elementary school students. Read Ahead’s program was different from that in that you had the opportunity to work with kids who were choosing to spend their lunch time with you. It’s easy to motivate kids to go outside and play but I found it rewarding to spend time with a student in this kind of environment. Education has always been so important to me because it’s a way to improve your chances for a better lifestyle. I grew up in the neighborhood that I volunteer in, so I understand what these kids are like and it’s great to give directly back to your community.

How would you describe your experience with Read Ahead?

Kelly: It’s been a seamless volunteer experience as well as really rewarding. Last year I worked with a fifth-grade student who was a pleasure to work with and this year I have a second-grader who is hilarious. It’s really exciting to see them each week.

Annie: Seeing students grow throughout the school year as well as over the entirety of our mentoring relationship has been so rewarding. For some of my students, I was their mentor from 2nd grade until 5th grade, and we grew very close. It was hard to say goodbye to them when they graduated to middle school, which shows how important the relationship becomes. Seeing how the students grow and change over time, as well as seeing how you’ve impacted them, is really rewarding to see it in real time.

How has your relationship grown with your student?

Kelly: I’ve seen her confidence grow, I’ve also seen her grow more comfortable spending time with me as an adult who isn’t her teacher or a part of her family. We’ve grown to be much more familiar with each other and she gets really excited to see me for our sessions. When I walk in she yells “Yay!’, which is really rewarding to see.

Annie: You become very close and you learn a lot about your student. I’ve had a number of students over the years and we spent multiple years together, the growth you see on an emotional level is amazing. My current student even asked me if we could continue with the program when she graduates next year.

Do you have any strategies that you use that have been particularly successful?

Kelly: I always start off the session by just sitting down and talking with her. I’ll ask her about what’s going on in her life or let her tell me any funny stories she wants to share. When she isn’t particularly interested in reading we’ll do some other kind of activity together. I try to engage with her or try to read a story to her to try and promote the idea of reading as a fun activity.

Annie: I’ve found that after you get to know your student, they look forward to you coming to spend time with them. They don’t see it as giving up recess to stay inside and read, rather that they get to see someone who is a friend and a mentor—who is there just to spend time with them.

How did you get involved with the Junior Board?

Kelly: I was really enjoying volunteering with Read Ahead and the Junior Board seemed like a really exciting opportunity to take it a step further. I work with Annie and she recommended it as a great way to get more involved and help support the program with funding, as well as it being a social and professional development opportunity.

Annie: I was one of the first Junior Board members from its inception. I heard about it in the monthly newsletter and it was an opportunity to get further involved. I had already been volunteering for 9 years and I could see the impact, so I was already sold. It was very organic and we started off doing what we could to help. There were always great people through the years and it’s been really fantastic to see it grow into what it is today.

Did you have someone in your life who inspired you to read?

Kelly: My parents played a major part in introducing me to books and reading. They would take me to the library every week and read story books to me. They taught me to read when I was really young and they pushed me to start reading chapter books at a young age.

Annie: My sister was a teacher and is now a Vice Principal at a school, so education was always really important to my family. The earliest memory that I have is of her reading to me and I loved it. It was always like an adventure and that is something I’ve always wanted to recreate for someone else.

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