Column: Mentor of The Month–Mentoring to Friendship
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Column: Mentor of The Month–Mentoring to Friendship

From Isaiah:

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Christina Huie with Isaiah

I've worked with my mentor for two and a half years. Each week we read a book and write about what I read in the book. Some of the types of books we've read are history, nonfiction, biographies, animals, adventures and sports. Some special things I've enjoyed doing with my tutor have been when she's helped me with a project and when we went pottery painting. We also have gone out to eat. I have learned to check over my work from my time spent with my mentor. My tutor, Christina, deserves to be Mentor of the Month, because she is a great mentor and has helped me with my reading and spelling. I enjoy the time I spend with Christina.

From Christina Huie:

I’ve been working with Isaiah over the past 2 and a half years and it’s been such a fun and rewarding experience. His strong enthusiasm for reading and learning make our Monday sessions so engaging. Isaiah has made such huge progress with his reading comprehension and fluency. I’m always so impressed and proud when he successfully sounds out a word. We’ve really enjoyed participating in some of the Wright to Read activities and meeting other participants. Being a mentor has been such a rewarding experience and I have enjoyed spending time with Isaiah in both an educational role and as a friend.

I enjoy the mentorship aspect of Wright to Read because it helps build a connection that goes beyond the books. When we’re not reading together, we’ll go out to dinner, paint pottery, and do crafts. I’ve also cheered Isaiah on at a basketball game and seen him perform in his church’s Christmas play. It's been such a joy working with Isaiah and being part of the Wright to Read Program.

Wright to Read provides volunteer-based one-on-one sustained literacy tutoring and mentoring relationships to City of Alexandria elementary school children in need, and collaborates with families, schools and community partners to create a comprehensive support network that guides each child to success. Wright to Read is a member of the Alexandria Mentoring Partnership (AMP). AMP was created in 2006 to ensure that quality mentors and mentor programs are available for Alexandria's youth and young adults in need. There are 11 professionally managed programs in the partnership that need adult mentors. To learn more about Wright to Read, visit www.wrighttoread.org or to learn more about AMP, visit: http://www.alexandriava.gov/Mentoring.