October Blog

Oct. Hours 5, Cumulative Hours 5

This month, I got to spend time volunteering at two separate organizations. One was through ACEing Autism, where kids with autism come to learn tennis and get active. This stood out to me because, as a substitute teacher, I worked with many students who had disabilities, and I always enjoyed that time.

During my first session with ACEing Autism, I bounced around and observed how different volunteers worked with their partners. Seeing how each mentor finds their own way to make learning tennis approachable and fun. By my second session, I spent the whole time working one-on-one with "Darius". He was incredible to work with. At first, he was quiet and shy, but I quickly noticed how much he liked counting down from ten. When I started doing it with him before each activity, his enthusiasm completely changed. He became more engaged and excited to try new skills like practicing his backhand or controlling the ball while bouncing it on his racket. I think my experience as a substitute teacher really helped me connect with Darius and keep both of us energized throughout the session.

I also volunteered at Grace at the Greenlight, where I helped hand out breakfast to around 200–300 people experiencing homelessness. I really enjoyed my time there speaking with individuals, and it was cool to see all the other resources offered alongside the breakfast. There was a pop-up health clinic and an AA meeting that people could attend if they wanted.

Both of these experiences were great, and I really appreciated having the opportunity to engage with two completely different populations.