Volunteer Spotlight
Heidi - ASWL Volunteer
Q&A with Heidi
What do you find most rewarding as a volunteer?
Watching the students grow in skills and confidence. Seeing them find their voices and learn how to express themselves creatively. That's truly the highest reward.
What is the funniest piece of student writing you have read?
I'm impressed by ALL their writing! No way am I picking favorites. It amazes me to see them fuse together their own experiences and personal stories with their love of pop culture, sports icons, and sparkly bits of flotsam and jetsam from pure imagination. I love to hear them read their own work aloud. That's the best.
If you had to describe the 826 MSP community in three words, what would they be?
Dedicated. Collaborative. Inspirational.
If you could be any sea creature, what would you be?
Easy question. Narwhal, unicorn of the sea!
How have you grown as a volunteer?
When I began volunteering with 826 MSP (then MOI) I did so because I needed to do something tangible, something real and active, to make a difference in people's lives. I've gone from being unsure how someone like me, without a background in education, could possibly help students with homework (math!) and writing skills to knowing what really matters is being there. Being there to care and help. Being there to listen, to patiently lend support and encouragement. That the time and attention we give as volunteers is one of the most important resources we offer to our students. My experience has been so rewarding. I'm looking forward to continuing to help support the 826 MSP students to grow and succeed.
Thank you for all that you do for 826 MSP, Heidi!
Carly Benusa - Writer’s Room Volunteer
Q&A with Carly
1. What do you find most rewarding as a volunteer?
The most rewarding moments as a volunteer happen when students know they have crafted really quality writing. It's the little wins that spread a look of confidence and empowerment across their faces. Maybe it's rearranging a sentence in just the right way, or finding the perfect verb for their thesis, or writing the conclusion of the longest paper they've ever written. It's a joy and an honor for me to be part of the challenging and rewarding writing process.
2. What is the funniest piece of student writing you have read?
I read a narrative in which the author got ketchup and mustard poured on her head in a food fight with her siblings, and someone accidentally called the police in the meantime. It was a delightfully-chaotic tale.
3. If you had to describe the 826 MSP community in three words, what would they be?
Inclusive, affirming, uplifting.
4. If you could be any sea creature, what would you be?
An otter!
5. How have you grown as a volunteer?
I've learned so much about the writing process from the students I work within the Writers' Room. Both the students and coaches have helped me become a more thoughtful, affirming, and conscious writing coach.
Thank you for all that you do for 826 MSP, Carly!
Nina, 826 MSP Field Trip Illustrator and this week’s Volunteer Spotlight!
Q&A with Nina
1. How did you first hear about 826 MSP? What drew you to the organization?
Chad Kampe (the Executive Director of Mid-Continent Oceanographic Institute) sent me a message in December of 2014 asking if I’d be interested in being an illustrator for MOI. My first field trip was in February of 2015 and I am proud to have been a part of 35 trips since.
2. What do you enjoy most about being a volunteer at 826 MSP?
The storytelling and bookmaking field trips are infinitely unique. You never know which way a story is going to go (except that quite a few seem to involve lava, sharks, and fire).
3. What have you learned from your role at 826 MSP?
I learned to draw much, much faster than I usually do and also to let go of that feeling that my art needs to be just right.
4. What have you learned from the students you have worked with?
The students have taught me a lot! I never knew that a T-Rex could be made of apples, that ice cream cone fish swam in the sea, or that people could have hands made out of sandwiches.
5. What do you miss most about volunteering?
I miss all of the big kid energy. The students are filled to the brim with wildly creative ideas, it’s super fun to be around them.