Demetrius Watson has only been a mentor with Everybody Wins! Iowa since September of this year, but his impact that he’s made on the program has been large enough for him to be named our December mentor of the month.
Not long ago, Demetrius was reading through the volunteer opportunities section of the Des Moines Register. He had read through the section on a few different occasions before he decided that he wanted to volunteer as a reading mentor.
“It’s like giving back in a way,” Demetrius said. “It’s a good program for younger children.”
Demetrius had various mentor-like figures in his life that read to him while he was growing up, so he understands the importance of reading aloud to young minds. That’s why each Friday, Demetrius visits King Elementary School to read to Craig, a second grader, over the lunch hour.
In the short time that the pair has been reading together, Craig has demonstrated growth in his reading abilities as well as his confidence levels.
“I really have loved to see the progress that they have made together,” Claire Hueg, Site Coordinator for King Elementary, said.
Demetrius said that Craig seems to be more courageous when it comes to reading now compared to when they had first started reading together.
“He’s a lot more open,” Demetrius said. “In the beginning, I would just read to him, and he wouldn’t say anything. Now, he’s taking stabs at reading and we’re switching page by page. He seems a little more motivated to face the challenge of reading.”
Craig has already made great progress and the time he and Demetrius spend together each week appears to be beneficial. Demetrius looks forward to seeing how Craig continues to improve.
“It’s a good program and a good initiative in general,” Demetrius said.
Thanks for being a great mentor with us, Demetrius!