When I arrived at UC Berkeley, I was perplexed and unsettled by the club culture that this school breeds. As someone who used to be extremely involved in high school, I was weary of how I’d keep up at such a competitive school. I was equally as anxious about getting the opportunity to join a program. Still, I knew I at least wanted to try, so I began to ask around for suggestions; that’s when I first heard about BUILD.
BUILD (Berkeley United in Literacy Development) is “one of the largest reading programs in the East Bay, with 215 UC Berkeley student mentors providing one-to-one literacy support to 850 youth at 20 locations in Oakland and Berkeley,” but it’s much more than that to me.
I’m not just an only child and grandchild, but the only young person in my extended family. So, before this year, I’d always been hesitant around children since I’d never really experienced them. It was always just me, alone at the dinner table with my parents and their friends — and I loved it. However, this was before BUILD showed me the pure magic children bring into the world.
I applied on a whim, not knowing much about kids, but knowing that I loved to read and to read with others. When I received my acceptance to the program, I was nervous about showing up that first day.
I volunteer at John Muir Elementary in the Claremont neighborhood of Berkeley, about two miles from UC Berkeley’s campus. Upon my arrival on the first day, my nerves entirely dissipated. I realized that my scholars (the name BUILD attributes to the children we read with) had no clue whether or not I was an experienced mentor (the title given to us as volunteers). They were just excited at the prospect of engaging with a new adult. All my fear became replaced by an eagerness to get to know my scholars and build their reading abilities.
I attend the site twice a week and spend 30 minutes with each of my three scholars (two third-graders and a second-grader), where I essentially sit while they read and assist them with challenging words or fluency. It’s incredible to watch their growth! I’m constantly astonished by their curiosity and ability to pick up new words and add them to their vocabulary.
Before I knew it, they had become my new little best friends, and seeing them became my favorite part of the week. By the end of the semester, it became clear to me that this is what I’m meant to be a part of. As a start, I decided to add an education minor.
This realization was difficult for me to grapple with because I always saw myself going into business or something traditionally known to produce a high income. Instead, I found myself wanting to become a teacher, consistently the profession known as being underpaid.
Forbes explains how this stigmatism around teaching and the overall lack of attention to the field has caused a dramatic decrease in those choosing to pursue the profession. Author Mark Perna writes: “It’s about more than the money: teachers feel that their work is not valued by society at large.” Universities like Harvard have even dropped their undergraduate teaching programs due to low enrollment. This sentiment is especially relevant in my life at a STEM-dominated school like UC Berkeley.
Aside from being looked down on for studying a subject in the humanities department, I’ve become accustomed to hearing statements like, “I’d become a teacher as a last resort” or “Teachers are overpaid.” When people make ignorant statements like these, they fail to realize that they wouldn’t be here without the information and lessons they’ve accumulated from teachers throughout their lifetime.
It wasn’t until I got to take on a teaching role with BUILD that I realized how important my teachers were to my development. Every one of them, whether I liked them at the moment or not, taught me invaluable lessons that reach beyond the realm of school and into the decisions I make daily.
Sometimes, all it takes is a hands-on experience to find your calling. I’m forever grateful that BUILD gave me a chance to do so and to realize that I can also impact the lives of young people. So, if you’re a student, look into programs like these that your school offers (in any field), and you might just find your interests where you least suspect. I would’ve never expected to find my passion on the playground!