Sunnyside Environmental School required volunteering

2011 - 2014

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At Sunnyside Environmental School (SES), we did a lot of service with our class during the school day in elementary school. But when I moved on to middle school, we were required to do 8 hours of service that we had to seek out ourselves. At first I thouhgt it was a burden but then I realized my love for service. I have loved service ever since and continued doing service after I graduated.

Learn more about Sunnyside Environmental School.

 

Pigmice robotics, FRC 2733

​2014 - present

After school club that meets at least twice a week

 

I joined the Pigmice robotics after-school club becuase a friend from middle school was on it and urged me to do it. I have learned more from the Pigmice than from anything else I have volunteered for. Before I joined, I knew very little about tools, building robots, programming, budgeting/managing money, working in a group, and most importantly friendship. I have gained so much knowledge from this team that I am not sure how much else I can learn. I love going there because we joke around and have fun together but at the end of the day, we always produce something great and make a step towards finishing our robot for competition. This team has introduced me to marvelous organizations such as Codeday Portland (I have been to 4 events so far), WebVisions (showing off our robot and teaching about STEM), the SUN program at Woodmere Elementary, other FIRST robotics leagues (such as an FTC event at Benson High School), Maker Faire at OMSI (showing off the robot and teaching about STEM), and mentoring an FLL team. They also taught me about STEM, and I have been hooked ever since. They have inspired me to take classes like a machining class at Portland Community College over the summer and an Intro to Computer Programming class at my high school.

Learn more about Pigmice robotics and FIRST.

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Outdoor School

​Fall of 2015 and spring of 2016, 2 sessions total

 

As a sixth grader I went to Outdoor School and I did not remember very much of it. I am pretty sure I did not like it. In my sophomore year, my friend recommended I get excused from class for a week to go hang out and teach with sixth graders. I thought he was crazy but boy, was I wrong.

Outdoor School has shaped me as a leader and changed me as a person. I learned child management techniques that work on my parents and I learned how to get the bare minimum of sleep and drag myself out of bed the next morning with aching bones and somehow feel a huge grin on my face. I learned how to teach in a way that is more meaningful than relaying information and connected with the other Student Leaders in a way that I have never connected with a group of people. I learned about the power of a positive attitude, the importance of nature, and the connections people can make. Me as a sixth grader would never understand what I understand now.

Learn more about Outdoor School.

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Summer Reading program

​Summer 2014 - present

 

​I originally signed up for the Summer Reading program as a requirement for my school and I never could have guessed how rewarding it would be. I help students sign up and get prizes for the Summer Reading program, and I talk to them about what books they are reading. I have a sneaking suspicion that I myself may be a 6 year old trapped in a teenager's body because of how easily I can talk to them and get along with them. I have learned about problem solving and communication with kids from this experience and I will continue there as long as they let me.

Learn more about the Summer Reading program.

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LENTS Youth Initiative (LYI)

Spring 2016

 

This after-school job readiness program has provided me with the opportunity to intern at Leach Botanical garden. It also taught more in depth about issues regarding lower class living and environmental conservation.

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Leach Botanical Garden internship

​8 week internship in 2016

 

Leach Botanical Garden has let me practice and ultimately improve my teaching skills and I was able to use the child management skills from Outdoor School to lead the children more efficiently and we were able to have more fun!

Learn more about Leach Botanical Garden.

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FLL 21391, Oranges Extended

Mentored an FLL league in fall/winter of 2015

 

I practiced my teaching skills by teaching the elementary students at Sunnyside Environmental School about coding a small lego robot.

Learn more about FLL.

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Woodmere Elementary Computers class

​8 week after school class in 2015, at which I co-taught with 3 other members of my robotics team.

 

We collaborated with the SUN program at Woodmere elementary and taught an after-school computers class to students from ages 8-11. We worked with the kids to practice typing and general computer knowledge so they could then teach their parents or use the skills later in life. We had some rowdy kids but by the end of the class we had learned how to manage them. We learned about teaching and group management. Computer skills are increasingly important as more technology is put out and is more commonly used. We helped these kids begin to cultivate skills to help them later in life in social situations and the work environment. They can also teach their families how to use computers, as computer skills are very important today as well. The whole experience brought my team closer and helped us grow as teachers.

 

Tutoring

Sunnyside Environmental School and freelance

October 2017 to present

 

Tutoring lets me use the skills I have learned from Outdoor School but apply them in a 1-on-1 setting. I also need to plan the content and style of my lessons, while Outdoor School provided me with the materials and lesson plan then I organized them based on the needs of the group I was teaching. I tutor math, Spanish, and environmental science. I love to tutor because it is easier to focus on the needs of one student instead of the needs of a group since there can be varying levels of prior knowledge. It also allows me to become more of their friend and it is easier to manage their attention.

If you are interested in hiring me as a volunteer or paid tutor, please contact me in the CONTACT tab.

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Mentor for a freshman biology class

December 2016 to July 2017

 

Mentoring freshman is enjoyable because I am already knowledgeable in the topic area and do not have to worry if I am answering their questions correctly, like I do at Outdoor School. They are also able to think critically and understand abstract concepts, and they are better at making connections than sixth graders are. Although mentoring is similar to both tutoring and Outdoor School, it has all the best aspects of both!

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Habitat for Humanity

 

Volunteering with Habitat for Humanity is challenging because it uses the basic machining skills I learned from my robotics team, but enhances them to a higher level. I am able to help out on the construction site and build affordable housing.

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