Tutor Spotlights

Congratulations to Stefanie Chenkin, January 2026 Tutor of the Month! 

Stefanie has been working with her student, Gissella, since fall 2024. Because Gissella is incredibly engaged and inquisitive, Stefanie is challenged to develop appropriate teaching tools and diligently prepares lessons for each of their weekly sessions. Stefanie has come to realize how confusing and contradictory English can be for someone learning it as a second language.  Tutor and student continue to develop a caring bond as they learn more about each other each week.

LVSC Journey: I like to be involved in my community and contribute where I can. I often saw advertisements for LVSC volunteers in the newspaper. My mother-in-law had been a literacy volunteer in another county for many years and always spoke so fondly of her experience and her relationship with her students. I was in a good place in my life where I thought I could fit in being an LVSC volunteer. I became an LVSC volunteer in the fall of 2024.

Proud LVSC Moment: During the summer, my student Gissela and I were asked to speak to a group of tutors in training. Gissella did a great job fielding questions and explaining how being involved with LVSC has been for her. I’ve seen her confidence grow as an English speaker over the last year and this was such a wonderful and unique opportunity to showcase her skills.

Stefanie (l) and Gissela during a tutoring session.

Day Job: I work full-time as a speech-language pathologist. There are many crossovers between what I do during the day and what I do as an LVSC tutor. Most people think that speech-language pathologists help correct sound production errors, which we do, but so much of what we do is language based. This includes, but is not limited to, building vocabulary, using context to understand word meaning, generating sentences with intact grammar and word order, and deciphering the meaning of abstract language such as idioms. Working with Gissela has enabled me to tap into my professional background but she certainly challenges me with her goal areas and questions.

Hobbies:  Cooking and Baking: For a variety of reasons, I’ve adopted a largely plant-based diet. It’s been interesting to learn how to adapt standard recipes and get great results.

Exercising/Fitness: I’m dedicated to engaging in some form of daily exercise, rotating through weight training, cardio and yoga sessions.

Gardening: I’ve been a member of the Duke Community Garden for the past six years. It’s a wonderful community and provides me the opportunity to grow vegetables that won’t be eaten by the deer in my yard. Each year, I try to grow something new. This year I was able to grow acorn squash for the first time.

Stefanie with this year's bounty!

Favorite Quote: I really like this African proverb: When you pray, move your feet. To me, this applies universally, whether or not you’re a person who prays; if you see a need, do something within your wheelhouse that can affect meaningful change.

Favorite Food: I’m a big fan of dark chocolate.  

Favorite Book: While not necessarily my all-time favorite book, but likely one of the most impactful over the course of the last few years, is Outlive, by Peter Attia. It’s packed with essential, life-changing information to live a better life and improve not just your lifespan but your health span.

R&R Spot: I really enjoy taking a few hours to walk the boardwalk along the Jersey shore. I prefer the quieter boardwalk in the area of Asbury Park, Belmar and Avon-by-the-Sea. I’m also happy walking along a wooded trail, just as long as I’m outdoors.