Volunteer Finds Gratification in Giving Back
“I get special gratification out of seeing struggling students transform into confident ones. All of a sudden they realize they can do it.”
- Emma-Lorraine Bart-Plange
Emma-Lorraine remembers her parents, natives of Ghana, taking the citizenship exam when she was little, and knew the test required significant practice and reading and writing skills to pass such a difficult test. A year and a half ago she began volunteering her time to tutor at Pan-African Association’s Tuesday night citizenship class. Once she began working with the students, she “realized that the goal of passing the citizenship exam was definitely attainable. When I saw how students were developing their own strategies to remember all of the information, the whole challenge seemed less daunting.”
The Citizenship Program at Pan-African Association offers assistance to eligible individuals who wish to become naturalized citizens of the United States. A typical class begins by reciting and answering questions from a typical citizenship test. JP, the citizenship class teacher, helps students to breakdown, sound out and write down words to not only build their knowledge of citizenship exam questions, but also to better their reading and writing skills.
“I love seeing people grow over time,” says Emma-Lorraine. “I get special gratification out of seeing struggling students transform into confident ones. All of a sudden they realize they can do it [and] they can even become involved in their communities by voicing their opinions and exercising their right to vote.” Emma-Lorraine’s most memorable experience occurred when two of the students passed the citizenship test. She recalls how much they had both grown during the year, saying “I heard how they practiced on their own time during lunch – writing down words or answers to questions. When they passed the exam there was a party in class celebrating their success.”
Emma-Lorraine currently studies Clinical Psychology and is working on her thesis, but insists that despite her busy schedule she “will continue to volunteer for as long as I live in Chicago.”
For more information on the Citizen Program, click here.
For more information on becoming a Pan-African Association volunteer, click here.
- Emma-Lorraine Bart-Plange
Emma-Lorraine remembers her parents, natives of Ghana, taking the citizenship exam when she was little, and knew the test required significant practice and reading and writing skills to pass such a difficult test. A year and a half ago she began volunteering her time to tutor at Pan-African Association’s Tuesday night citizenship class. Once she began working with the students, she “realized that the goal of passing the citizenship exam was definitely attainable. When I saw how students were developing their own strategies to remember all of the information, the whole challenge seemed less daunting.”
The Citizenship Program at Pan-African Association offers assistance to eligible individuals who wish to become naturalized citizens of the United States. A typical class begins by reciting and answering questions from a typical citizenship test. JP, the citizenship class teacher, helps students to breakdown, sound out and write down words to not only build their knowledge of citizenship exam questions, but also to better their reading and writing skills.
“I love seeing people grow over time,” says Emma-Lorraine. “I get special gratification out of seeing struggling students transform into confident ones. All of a sudden they realize they can do it [and] they can even become involved in their communities by voicing their opinions and exercising their right to vote.” Emma-Lorraine’s most memorable experience occurred when two of the students passed the citizenship test. She recalls how much they had both grown during the year, saying “I heard how they practiced on their own time during lunch – writing down words or answers to questions. When they passed the exam there was a party in class celebrating their success.”
Emma-Lorraine currently studies Clinical Psychology and is working on her thesis, but insists that despite her busy schedule she “will continue to volunteer for as long as I live in Chicago.”
For more information on the Citizen Program, click here.
For more information on becoming a Pan-African Association volunteer, click here.
