Volunteering

At San Diego State University

P.U.L.L.

Promoting University Learning and Leadership is aimed to helping male, first generation, minority students attend universities. Those students are high school juniors and seniors who have never been exposed to a college campus before. I was a PULL program mentor. The student I mentored accompanied me everywhere during the summer semester of 2011. He attended my classes and saw what I did during the free time between the classes. I explained to him the college life, the work it takes to keep up the grades, the process of applying for college, and much more.

In addition to participating in the P.U.L.L. program I also helped initiate and improve it. The summer of 2011 was the first time that the program was put into effect and the success of the program has provided the funding to continue to support success of future college students.

At El Cajon Valley High School

E.L.A.C.

English Learner Advisory Committee is a community that is composed of the parents of English learners, and the designated school's teachers, counselors, and administrators. It meets every third Wednesday of the month with about 75-100 parents at each meeting. The parents share their opinions, ideas, and concerns. The school staff takes the responsibility of answering the parents’ questions and delivering their opinions and concerns to the State Board of Education to help with the improvement of the State’s education system for English learners.

I started volunteering in the ELAC meetings after my first attendance with my dad in March of 2009. I went there to be a listener seeking information, but found that I could be helpful, utilizing my translation capabilities. After that meeting, I volunteered in the ELAC as a translator and an assistant. I helped translate for the parents, signed them in in when they arrived to the meeting, and helped them fill out papers and answered their questions. I volunteered in the ELAC until I graduated from high school.

P.I.Q.E.

Parent Institute for Quality Education is an annual nine week course designed for parents, to help understand all aspects of the high school experience and the options that their children may have after completing their high school education. This program is aimed toward the parents of English learners to help them learn about the high school experience that is different from their own high school experience.

During the PIQE meetings I offered assistance in translation and regularly translated for the meeting attendees, during the PIQE of 2009.

Chaldean Club

At my high school we have many clubs and organizations. Some were educational, others were simply entertaining. Although many were cultural or religious, I noticed our school did not have a Chaldean club. Chaldeans are the catholic people from Iraq. During my senior year I helped establish this club by finding prospective members, promoting the club, gathering signatures for the petition that authorized the club as an official entity on campus.

At San Diego Countey Library - El Cajon

Librarian

I volunteered in the library branch of El Cajon as a librarian. During my volunteering time I sorted books on the shelves, guided people to the books they wanted, and taught some people how to use the internet to find books that they were looking for and a lot more.

Tutor

I tutored for middle school students. I tutored math ranging from basic math to algebra and geometry. Also, I tutored English. Many of the students that I tutored for English were Chaldean, so I also translated for them.

Translator

I did not only translate for the students that I tutored but also translated for other people and the other librarians. I translated for Arabic and Chaldean speakers who did not know enough English or did not understand what the librarians were saying. Also, I translated for the librarians when they needed me to make phone calls or communicate with another person.