Every Tuesday afternoon for the last eight years—16 semesters!—Ian Evans has served as a point person in our after-school tutoring program. In this volunteer leadership role, Ian welcomes students ages six through fourteen who are seeking homework help and matches them with new and returning tutors. Ian’s been known to keep his cool no matter how much Halloween candy (or Hot Cheetos, or Angry Birds, or you name it) our students have gotten into, and for that and so much more we are eternally thankful.
Ian took a moment to reflect on his relationship to our programs: “I’ve been volunteering for the after-school tutoring program at 826 since 2005, and the Tuesday point person since 2006. I work as a technical writer in the software industry, and since I moved to San Francisco I’ve mostly worked from home. I started tutoring as a way of giving something back. It had the added side effect of getting me out of the house. My mom and grandma were public school teachers, and I’ve always gotten personal satisfaction in sharing knowledge and helping people learn. 826 is a perfect place for this. I’ve been able to get to know and help out so many amazing kids, and at this point I’ve seen many of them grow up and move on to high school and college. But it goes way beyond just helping out with math homework. I’ve been lucky enough to hear their stories.
Outside of tutoring and work, you’re probably going to find me reading books about construction machines to my boys Milo (4) and Desi (2), woodworking, restoring old tools, watching hockey or baseball, and staring at maps.”
Please join us in celebrating Ian for his dedication and tutoring savvy!
To read about all of our featured volunteers, visit the Volunteer of the Month gallery.
