Tutor Spotlights

Congratulations to Steve Johnson, February 2026 Tutor of the Month! 

Steve is a committed volunteer who has tutored students from Honduras, Colombia, Peru, Turkey and Costa Rica. He is especially proud of his learner from Colombia who was able to get a better job as a result of their tutoring sessions. Steve is impressed by his students’ desire to learn and improve their English language skills and to keep at it when it’s not quite as easy as they may have hoped! He’s rewarded for his many hours of tutoring by his eager and thankful students as they work toward assimilating into New Jersey’s culture.

LVSC Journey: I signed up for tutor training in January 2021, and my first student started in late February that same year. I have been working with my fifth student, Marjorie, since March of last year.

What motivated you to become an LVSC volunteer? Having spent many years working internationally, I knew from first-hand experience that being able to communicate effectively both orally and in writing was critical to being effective. That, coupled with my love of reading (sometimes a book a week!), and encouragement from my wife who had trained to be a tutor many years before me, led me to volunteer. I wanted to be able to help people realize their individual language-skills goals.

Proud/Inspiring/Memorable LVSC Moment: Two events stand out. The first – my Honduran student gave me a small gift (Best Teacher mug!) when she moved to Virginia after a year of working together thanking me for all my help. The second – helping my Colombian student with her English skills that enabled her to get a better job.

Day Job: Being retired!

Hobbies:  Reading is at the top of my list. I enjoy several genres from mystery/thrillers, science fiction/fantasy to the occasional history/biography book. I love traveling with my family and have been fortunate to have seen quite a bit of the U.S. as well as several other countries. And then there is cooking – I’ll try to make most anything!

Favorite Quote: “If you don’t ask, you don’t get,” attributed to my father. This speaks to my students who always ask questions to better learn and understand this language and the culture they find themselves in.

Favorite Food: While I have no favorite cuisine per se, we have been eating and enjoying quite a bit of Mediterranean food lately. But I’m just as happy with Italian or Asian foods.

Favorite Book: That’s a tough question. There are two though that I have come back to visit repeatedly over the years: The Lord of the Rings and The Complete Sherlock Holmes Stories.

R&R Spot: Sitting in either our front room or on the patio in a nice, comfortable chair reading a book.