"The Happiest Girl Alive"
"I'm the happiest girl
alive... Want to know why?"
It all started in November 2014. After I got laid off of my job, I started looking into volunteer work, stumbled across Reading to Kids, and said, “Why not?”
I love kids, and I figured, how hard can it be to read to
them once a month for two hours? So I decided to RSVP, starting my journey
to becoming the happiest girl alive.
The first time I went
was in December 2014 at Esperanza Elementary School. I remember not knowing what
to do or what to expect. But one of the Grade Level Coordinators was incredibly nice, taking the time to explain everything with a big smile. All of a sudden, my
fear and cluelessness was gone. I was ready to rock that reading.
I was assigned to read to Kindergartners, and I had the time of my life. The kids were super creative, had the
most amazing stories to tell, and had a really good grasp of what we were saying.
Of course, we had to stop for a game of “Simon Says,” but hey, you
have to have some fun while doing it.
It’s been eight
months since I began volunteering, and I couldn’t be happier. I have gone from being a reader to a Grade Level Coordinator, helping out in any way I can. Every Friday before Reading to Kids, I go to bed thinking, "Tomorrow will be the best day." It’s like you forget everything in the outside
world – once you are there, you are truly devoted to the children, reading aloud to them, and hearing the awesome stories they have to tell.
So why am I the
happiest girl in the world, you ask? It's thanks to the kids' smiles at the end of the program. Everything about it is so rewarding, even the arts and crafts portion; although I can truly
say I’m not gifted when it comes to art, I love going home
with a special drawing from a kid.
It’s all about how silly and funny you
dare to be with the kids.
My advice to you before you go:
1. Be silly so that you gain
their confidence.
2. Make them feel like they
are the most important person in the room – each and every child.
3. But mostly, love them
like there is no tomorrow, because that will change them forever.
- Andrea
Briceno, Volunteer
