Tutor Spotlights

Congratulations to Doreen, March 2025 Tutor of the Month! 

Doreen is a retired high school English teacher who never stopped teaching. She is still a substitute teacher and has tutored numerous students since she started with LVSC in 2019. Doreen takes great pride in her students’ accomplishments and helps them with tasks such as understanding U.S. currency and taking and passing proficiency tests.

Learn more about Doreen:

LVSC Journey: I became an LVSC volunteer in 2019 after a long career as a high school English teacher. I retired in 2018 and knew I wanted to volunteer as a literacy tutor. LVSC offered me the perfect opportunity to help others develop their literacy skills. I learned early on in my teaching career that helping people develop these skills was one of the most gratifying experiences I’d ever known. During the summers I worked in a college program with underprepared students to help them prepare for college level reading and writing. Those years as a summer writing instructor were as rewarding for me as they were for the students.

Inspiring LVSC Moment: It’s so hard to pick just one, but I guess helping an adult learner who had severe reading and writing challenges to write a story for the LVSC newsletter. In a couple of paragraphs, the student was able to articulate fond memories of a favorite uncle. Much of what he wrote didn’t end up in the story he submitted, but the process was such a breakthrough for him. He was so proud to see his story published.

Passions/Hobbies:   Nothing is more fulfilling for me than helping others meet their needs or goals. I’m an avid hiker and reader and love to travel. I think I’m happiest when I am outdoors in nature.

Favorite Quote: “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are,” by Anais Nin. This quote always reminds me to try and understand other people’s perspectives, especially those that are different from my own.

Favorite Food: Well, I make a mean eggplant parmesan dish, but anything my husband makes works for me, especially his pierogies.

Favorite Book: The impossible question, but probably The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing because it was so life-changing for me. A more recent favorite is Haruki Murakami’s The City and Its Uncertain Walls, and I’m looking forward to my next book, James, by Percival Everette, which is a retelling of Huck Finn from Jim’s perspective.

R&R Spot: The mountains, forests and woods, our beautiful natural spaces in the U.S. and in other countries.