The 2022 Learner & Tutor Banquet
On Wednesday, November 2, NALC held our Learner & Tutor Banquet for the first time since 2019! We shared a delicious potluck meal with learners, tutors, staff, board, and community members at Plaza Mariachi while celebrating the dedicated work of everyone that makes NALC special. And this year was extra special because it’s also our 40th birthday!
We heard from our Board Chair, Kelly Johnson, CEO, Kim Karesh, and Board Member, Jim Kelly. We also got to hear stories from volunteer tutor, Gagana Borra, English Language Learner, Johana Brito, and (via video) Literacy Learner, Robert Gooch. You can watch Johana’s speech here and Robert’s story here.
During the celebration, we honored learners and volunteers who continually exceed expectations. Please join us in congratulating the following winners:
Martha Teschan Award: Jarrod Mornout
The Martha Teschan Volunteer of the Year Award is given to a volunteer other than a tutor who provides outstanding support to NALC. Martha was a committed and dedicated volunteer who started as tutor in 1992, and later became a board member. She helped us with everything from serving cake at events like The Banquet to shoring up our financials so we could pay the phone bill.
Jarrod recently completed his Salesforce Administrator certification and was excited to apply for entry level jobs, but he was told the same thing that many of NALC’s learners are told: you need two years’ experience.
A lot of folks might hold a grudge or give up after a message like that, but Jarrod had other plans. He was told he should try to find a place to volunteer and called multiple nonprofits until he found us. We made a list of things to do, and he’s been committed to helping us improve our data management, which increases our efficiency and helps us better tell our story to funders. The work Jarrod is doing today will help us grow in the future, and this is why we’ve named him our Volunteer of the Year.
ELL Match Award: Monique Killyon, Snahider Vega, and Janiree Noriega
Volunteer tutor, Monique Killyon, has been working with Snahider Vega and Janiree Noriega, a couple who are learning English as an additional language. Together, Snahider, Janiree and Monique have completed more than 80 hours of tutoring, the most of any other match this year!
Snahider and Janiree are originally from Venezuela and found NALC through support from another foundation while searching for English classes. They appreciate NALC’s organization, willingness to help students, and methodologies.
Monique is from Nashville and found NALC through a Google search for adult literacy programs. She appreciates that NALC provides an opportunity to do meaningful and rewarding work, and told us that tutoring gives her an opportunity to connect with and support different people whom she likely would not have encountered outside of this environment.
Together, Monique, Janiree and Snahider have completed seven Burlington English modules, read books together, and celebrated wins big and small, like leasing a new apartment and going to a Backstreet Boys concert.
Adult Basic Education Match: Andrew Giacobone and John Faust
Andrew and John have been working together for six months and have built an effective and inspiring learning partnership.
Like most of our tutors, Andrew did not have any teaching experience when he came to a volunteer literacy training in May. This didn’t stop him from diving into the challenge. Andrew is incredibly thoughtful and creative about incorporating different types of activities into his tutoring sessions, and he is never afraid to try something new. He frequently incorporates Sudoku puzzles, crosswords, and other novel word games into his tutoring sessions to help his learner build vocabulary. He is also incredibly diligent about completing tutor notes! When asked what advice he would give to prospective tutors Andrew said: “Be patient and encouraging. Don’t be afraid to mix up the book lessons with games and pop quizzes, to stave off ennui. Let your enthusiasm be contagious!”
Since enrolling in our program in the summer of 2021, John has made tremendous progress on several of his goals. His reading, comprehension and fluency have improved and he has completed an EKG certification class for his job, and he has recently begun applying to local nursing programs. John has managed to consistently find time to study and do homework outside of class while also working a full-time job. John always shows up to his tutoring sessions with a positive attitude and a can-do spirit. When asked what his tutor has done that helps him the most, John said that he really appreciates his tutors “willingness to learn… in order to help me... I love that he is very patient with me.”
Congratulations to all of our winners!
The Banquet, and our services, would not be possible without the support of donors and sponsors. We are continually grateful for the individuals that support our program through donations. Specifically, we would like to extend gratitude to this year’s Banquet sponsors who made our first in-person event in three years possible!
Presenting Sponsor
Major Sponsors
Friends of NALC
Supporting Sponsor
Bridgestone Americas Law Department
Parnassus Books
Renasant Bank