Being a Mentor to the Future Generation: Peter Engelhard

Volunteering at the Booker T Washington Community Center was a great experience for me.  I have loved volunteering at this place because the kids are so fun to be around.  I have made great relationships with some of the kids who come over at the community center.  On the first day volunteering over there, I didn't know what to expected because I have never volunteered over there before.  Volunteering throughout the weeks, I have learned how the process works and what to expect.  There are kids, when they come in and see me, they will remember my name.  This has touched my heart.  I have helped different kids in the subjects of: reading, math, and history.  Helping them brings back memories of when I was a little kid.

Being in this program, I have seen and talked to most of these kids coming from low-income families, which brings back memories of STAYcation of how it was like living in poverty and learning about poverty in Hamilton.  There was a boy who I have a positive relationship with that he told me when grows up, he wants to be a lawyer so he can help his mom.  I told him that he needed to study, read a lot, and to go to law school.  This made me happy for me to hear him say that.  I have learned how I can speak at a kids' level so they an better understand me as I help him/her do their homework.  Helping these kids has shown me that I want to help the future generation to be able to succeed. 

I have worked with great people who helped me succeed throughout the program.  As the program is coming to a close, I have told people I would still volunteer at the Booker T Washington Community Center even after the program is over.  Booker T Washington Community Center is a great non-profit organization to volunteer at if anybody would like to make a difference in the children's lives and to be a mentor to them.  These children who are coming to the community center will be successful in going and getting a good education.  People need to volunteer at the Booker T Washington Community Center because this will impact and change your live as it did to mine.  Volunteering at the community center is one of the things that has turned me into a Hamiltonian!!!!!!