During snack time at Kids Club I enjoy walking around to engage with the students. Recently at Kids Club I noticed a group of 3rd graders gathered around one of our first grade girls, Esperanza*. She stood there holding a piece of paper while all the older girls stared at it and talked excitedly all at once.

As I walked over to see what all the commotion was about, I remembered that Esperanza had a hard time at the beginning of the year. School was hard; it was difficult for her to believe in herself. I wondered what they were so excited about.

“Ms. Marissa, look at the note Esperanza got from her teacher!” the older girls exclaimed. Beaming, Esperanza proudly held out the note from her teacher. It read, “Congratulations, Esperanza! Esperanza has learned her syllables. She was so brave and she offered to recite them in front of the entire class… she recited them perfectly! We are so proud of her. Keep moving forward!”

Esperanza has transformed into a little girl that loves to learn and loves to share with others. This is a fruit of the dedication of our wonderful volunteers, the love of our staff, and the daily encouragement from her fellow Kids Club students. Her daily smile and the joy she now finds in learning are constant reminders to our team that through the relationships we build, transformation is possible. I’m so proud of Esperanza, and can’t wait to see how she continues to grow and learn. 

–

* Name changed for privacy