A year and a half ago, Dennis Sellin decided that he \u201cwanted to give something back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dennis got that chance shortly after when he came across a FLOC flyer at the gym. He said it sounded \u201cperfect\u201d and exactly what he hoped to do, so last summer he became a tutor in the Summer Reading Program.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not a secret that the District of Columbia struggles with education, especially childhood education, and I knew that was an area where there was a need for some volunteer work,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Dennis is quite fond of reading, which is one of the reasons he chose to volunteer with FLOC. His student, Davon, is a 9th<\/sup>\u00a0grader who at first didn\u2019t express the same enthusiasm for reading. Davon used to tell him \u201cI don\u2019t like to read,\u201d but Dennis has seen him change his mind. Now, Davon looks forward to reading a book at the end of the lesson, and he completely understands what he\u2019s reading\u2014a crucial step in the right direction.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been really happy to hear that his academic performance in school has improved a lot, and it would be nice to think that some of that is due to FLOC,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Before FLOC, Dennis had zero experience as a tutor. Though at first he worried if he would click with the students and be able to relate to them, he now has different concerns. He doesn\u2019t want to be boring; he strives to be interactive, creative and flexible throughout the lesson.<\/p>\n He especially stresses making the lesson fun. \u201cYou have to remember [that these students] have been in school all day and then they come here. It\u2019s a long day.\u201d<\/p>\n Dennis likes that he tutors at an organization that is doing good in the community and making a difference where it counts.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery single week you make a small advance,\u201d Dennis says. \u201cYou watch them progress through the lessons and you have to believe that you\u2019re having an impact.\u201d<\/p>\n Dennis has had the chance to attend a few FLOC events and hear from principals, parents, and a few former FLOC students who are now in college. \u201cThat\u2019s the payback. If I can help a little bit, doing something I love, why not?\u201d<\/p>\n A year and a half ago, Dennis Sellin decided that he \u201cwanted to give something back.\u201d<\/p>\n Dennis got that chance shortly after when he came across a FLOC flyer at the gym.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3682,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[48,63,65],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n