Blog

I attended Boyd Elementary School in an economically and racially segregated school in a rich suburb. One doesn’t normally equate suburbs with this problem, but in my hometown of Allen, which was recently ranked the second best suburb in America by realtor.com and MONEY Magazine, that’s the way things were, and still are today. Fourteen … Continue reading James’s SEAL Story

Being a part of SEAL has been one of the most rewarding opportunities I have experienced in college. In the brief time that I have volunteered, I have received so much love and gratitude from my students; so much so, it makes me excited to return each and every week. I found my second week … Continue reading A Series of Not So Unfortunate Events

We all know how busy the college life gets - the extra homework, the essays that take two three four drafts, and of course, the dreaded midterms. On top of that, there’s the seemingly inquietable call to become someone: a “World Changer.” Quite frankly, this always stressed me out. I had a few years to … Continue reading Catching the Reading Fever

The day I found SEAL I was excited because I missed my high school days tutoring kids, and SEAL seemed like it might be similar to what I did then. That being said, I’ll admit that I did have a small fear that SEAL might be just like every other volunteer experience I had ever … Continue reading Not Your Average Volunteering Gig

One cold and windy winter night, two bold and shivering SEAL officers wandered through the dazzling 38th ½ street winter wonderland. After the bright lights of the “Trap” house and the underwater vibes of the pirate-themed house, they were curious what they would find at the end of the street. As they walked along, jabbing … Continue reading Our Mascot: Lucille

Every SEAL volunteer knows the Communities In Schools (CIS) coordinators as the ringleaders and backbones of Reading Buddies and SmartKids. But, the impact of CIS coordinators goes far beyond the after school programs, and sometimes it is difficult for volunteers to grasp the importance and the scale of the work the coordinators do to help … Continue reading Spotlight on CIS Coordinator Meredith Evett

“I have been through so much with my kid.” The friend I was talking to looked taken aback. “Well, not, like, a biological kid.” I explained. “She’s my reading buddy, but she’s my kid.” When I joined SEAL, I thought it would be about tutoring. When I first applied, I figured most of my focus … Continue reading Why SEAL?

A little over a month ago, I began my second semester of volunteering with the best hidden gem at UT: SEAL. I will call my reading buddy Annie after the main character in her favorite book series, The Magic Treehouse. Annie walked up to me on the first day of volunteering. At first, she was timid … Continue reading The Magic of Reading

This past semester, I started college at the University of Texas at Austin. A nervous and intimidated freshman though I was, I wanted to put myself out there and try as many new experiences as I could. In high school, volunteering was a huge part of my schedule and I wanted to keep that momentum … Continue reading Hungry for Green Eggs, Ham, and Books

The day I found SEAL, I was tired; I had spent the better part of the day trudging up and down the many organizations tabling in front of Gregory Gym in the unforgiving August heat. Suddenly, I heard a gentle voice amongst the others: “Does anyone like reading to kids?” I peered around until I … Continue reading Lunar Lessons from a Second Grader