When Zainab Drawbond moved from her native Nigeria to Des Moines with her new husband, an Iowan, she sought an opportunity to combine her love of reading with a way to get to know her new community. Over the past summer she began mentoring at the Walnut Street School and Zainab found everything she was looking for and more: a respite from the stresses of the medical residency she’s doing. “When I started mentoring, I’d just finished a really big exam. Reading with my student got me away from the academics and out of my own head,” she says. “My student was so animated, I found myself smiling all week.” Zainab says she came to EWI with no expectations but has found the organization to be organized and well run. It’s no surprise that she’s back at the Walnut Street School this fall.