Willow Glen Resident

Education

A pint can go a long way toward saving someone

By Mayra Flores De Marcotte

A year after its inception, the Willow Glen "Help One Student to Succeed" program has had a ripple effect not only on the students it helps, but also with community members who volunteer with the program.

"Mentors want to come in and make a difference," says program coordinator Debbie Bishop, "and it shows students that there are people that have a genuine interest in them."

The HOST program pairs a Willow Glen High School student with a mentor who provides academic support in language arts, which is meant to increase reading levels twofold by the end of the year.

The program--95 percent Willow Glen residents--is made up of retired teachers, professionals and young mothers, who provide students with the tools to reinforce their academic success by building confidence and self-esteem through reading, writing and vocabulary skills.

"There's been a definite impact," Bishop says. "Students have gone up a whole grade level."

Students targeted by the program are made up primarily of English Language learners.

Willow Glen resident David Heiman has volunteered for the program from the beginning.

"I wanted to get as close to my community as I could," he says.

For him, it's the immediate one-on-one attention that is critical to academic growth and improvement.

Heiman has been mentoring sophomore Elizabeth Rios since November.

She began the year quiet and unsure of herself. She never raised her hand in class and wasn't doing well because she didn't understand the subject matter.

"This program has helped take the nervousness out of me," Elizabeth says. "Mr. Heiman teaches me and takes his time to explain it until I get it."

Mentors meet with students in the program for an hour once a week to go over vocabulary quizzes and reading assignments. Currently, 30 students are enrolled in the program and 26 mentors are involved. The Gene and Mickey Long Foundation funds the HOSTS program.