Building a Foundation of Academic Success

One piece of advice I was told growing up that I will always remember is: “Influence is driven less by influentials and more by the interaction among those who are easily influenced.”

       Last fall, I was invited to Lou Henry Elementary School to read to the Kindergarten and 1^st Grade classes. I didn’t hesitate to say yes because when I was their age, to have a college athlete read to me, would have made my day. I didn’t have any college athletes visit my class, talk to me, or read books to me. It is amazing to see how much of an impact can be made on a child’s day, life, and future academic success just by spending some time with them. You never know how much of a difference can be made from sharing some of your time or talents with other people. Most people will follow in similar footsteps or make changes to their lives when someone, who has been very influential in their life or who has been a role model and someone they look up to, takes time out of their day to volunteer or show they care. As mentioned before, I never had that opportunity growing up in elementary school, so for me to have it now, I was more than grateful to take time and become that influential person or role model for a child.

       Once I arrived and started walking through the halls on my way to the classroom, I started to reminisce to my elementary years. I could tell how amazed the kids were with how tall I was and many had a lot of questions, but were too nervous or shy to ask them. Also, the kids were just full of energy and always had a story to tell about what was going on in school. I remember having many of these same feelings as a child. I was assigned a classroom and the teacher split the class into groups of four children. They were all very attentive and each child was special in his or her own way. While I was reading to them, the kids expressed great attention to detail and laughed and smiled a lot. Once I got done reading to them, they told me how many siblings they had, showed me where they were from and where their ancestors were from, and showed me their plants they were growing at the time. I had a lot of fun and it helped me realize three things: To always keep a smile on my face, be happy that I am alive for another day, and that by doing this small act, I got to make a difference in a young child’s life. This will be something the child will remember for the rest of his or her life. I was proud of myself because I helped them realize that dreams aren’t unachievable and they can do anything they set their minds to. I am the perfect example of this because I have achieved the dream I have had since I was a child.       

        I strive to make a difference and you should too, because any time you can give or volunteer you can change a life or make someone’s day. If given the opportunity, I will do it again, as I’d rather see someone smile and be happy instead of sad and feeling like they are alone.

Here is how you can become involved:

         Contact your local elementary school today to learn how to become a mentor or reading partner. Help make a change in your community and its future generation through being that role model or positive influence. It doesn’t take a lot of time and you will be surprised at the difference it can make on a child’s academic success in your local community. It is better to start today rather than tomorrow! 

Click here to learn why volunteering and being active in the community is so important to me.