September Check-In

 Growing up, my father always told me about living in small-town Luling, LA. Between yearly hurricanes and a lack of outside support, he always spoke about how difficult it was to find needed opportunities and resources. Living so close to his old community, I have been drawn to creating these opportunities for current students living in Luling. I knew that the WeMade Organization was dedicated to building up the student population after having worked with them post-Hurricane Ida. Laron, the organization's founder has been close to my family for many years. So, when I pitched my idea of starting a tutoring program to him, he was immediately on board. It is my goal to build off their existing programs and create a tutoring network that can help students academically, professionally and emotionally. At Duke, I ran a similar program for local refugees, where our partnerships with students were more similar to that of siblings than of tutors. Not every student needs help with their math homework to succeed - for some, its help polishing their resume or finding where to apply for scholarships; for others, the help they need may stem from a more personal place, needing someone to confide in emotionally. My goal for this program is for us to fill all of these gaps, as well as whatever else may come up. 

Outside of this initiative, I am doing as much as possible to integrate myself in the New Orleans community. I have met with the New Orleans Mission to potentially volunteer with their program dedicated to aiding people suffering from substance abuse disorders (SUD). I was incredibly impressed at their resources and their level of commitment to helping the community in almost any way you can think of. I am also volunteering with the judging panel at next month's po'boy festival. While this event does not necessarily have as much of a profound impact on the community, I cannot wait to feel like a local and eat as many po'boys as my stomach can handle. 

By next month, I am hoping to have the tutoring program started, with mentors already having been paired with their students. I am also hoping to have more opportunities to embrace the local culture, finding local hidden gems and more cultural festivals to enjoy.