Did I Teach Haruka, Or Did She Teach Me? by Richard Caley

Did I Teach Haruka, Or Did She Teach Me? by Richard Caley - December 2013 Scholarship Essay

For as long as I can remember, community service has been an integral part of my family’s life. My dad is a Rotarian, and my mom jokes that if she got paid for her volunteer work, she wouldn’t have to have a “real job.” So it’s no surprise that I’ve been doing my own community service work since I was very small, starting with things like picking up trash in our city parks and handing out water at aide stations during running races. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found a niche where I seem to be making a real difference in people’s lives.

My mom has been trying for a couple of years to convince me that I should become a teacher. I have adamantly opposed her, because what she doesn’t understand is that I am extremely shy and it makes me too nervous to get up in front of people. I would be uneasy leading a class of even very young students. I certainly never expected that I would find myself far outside my comfort zone, tutoring my peers (through National Honor Society) as well as a very special elementary school girl.

My high school Spanish teacher, Mrs. Riley, was asked by an elementary teacher if she knew of a student who could tutor one of the teacher’s fifth-graders. This little girl (Haruka) is from a military family and just recently moved to our town. She is blessed to be bilingual, but the languages she speaks are Japanese and Spanish—not incredibly helpful in an all-English-speaking classroom. The teacher was having difficulty communicating with Haruka, and Haruka was completely lost in all her subjects as she did not understand any of the English instructions. She needed help in her core subjects, but she needed that help to be in the form of instruction conducted through Spanish. Because I’ve been studying Spanish since I was young and have done well in her classes, Mrs. Riley asked me if I would be interested in working with Haruka as a way to practice my Spanish skills. My initial impulse was to say, “NO thank you!” How could I do that without fretting about it every time I had to go to the elementary school? My response, contrary to my actual feelings, was that of course I would be happy to help Haruka.

After several months of working with Haruka twice a week, I came to really enjoy my time with this little girl. I have no doubt that what she taught me about myself far outweighs what I taught her in her core subjects. Learning that I really CAN teach and that (darn it!) my mom was right and I do have a special knack for it, seems a bigger gift than an explanation of the concept of run-on sentences. Even so, Haruka was so grateful for my help, as was her teacher. Tutoring Haruka was fulfilling and eye-opening, and I’m sure I will never forget the experience.