Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning                       -Winston Churchill

My overall experience at BJM during my first year at Cornell was was absolutely wonderful. I had the most soothing yet energetic Thursday afternoons full of laughter and valuable lessons. The last A+ visit was extremely bittersweet as I was excited for the end of the semester, the end of my first year at Cornell (a milestone for me!), but saying goodbye to Mrs. Stacy and Mrs. Patel was tough to do and knowing I wouldn’t see some of my favorite kiddos for a few months hurt my heart. Unfortunately, Mrs. Sarah was not there due to an injury, but I was able to write her a get well card, telling her I’d miss her and her laugh very much (I made sure to draw lots of flowers, just like she liked). One of the little girls kept pretend copying everything I did, bringing a smile to my face every time she leaned over, squealed, and then wrote on her own card as quickly as possible. I had some pretty humorous conversations with some of the kids that day, widening the smile on my face. They really are a wonder. The things they think of and say with honesty, curiosity, and courage. Even in the toughest moments, in between tears, tantrums, and unkind words, they were a joy to work with. I learned so much every week about children and schooling, important things, even of the smallest nature, that would be immensely beneficial to my future aspirations.

I’m really thankful to BJM and A+ for allowing me to be a volunteer, letting me work with children, and bringing me into their community. I am even more thankful to Flora Rose House for this great opportunity. I’m really glad they started the program and I only wish the best for it. Seeing it grow and flourish into something wonderful and capable of great impact would be a delightful sight. This opportunity really helped me not only comfortably assimilate into the Cornell community, which is hard as a first year student far from home, but also become a part of the greater Ithaca community. Being able to go out into Ithaca, walk to the school, meet all sorts of people from the community, and learn about community events all over Tompkins county was an absolute treat. I once ran into a group of familiar faces during a walk through Ithaca during a town marathon event, the eagerness that shone from their sweet faces at recognizing me really made me feel like not only had I made some sort of impact in my volunteering at the school, but I had also been welcomed into the community. I enjoyed my experience so much and am so thankful to Flora Rose House and BJM that I sincerely hope I can remain involved in the Rose community next year and still be able to volunteer at A+ when I can work it into my schedule. I already miss everyone and cannot wait to see them again. Thank you for this opportunity, really!

Finally, Ithaca has shown that the sun and warm weather do exist. I was happy to arrive today and find that the homework session was converting to an outdoor hour. Although there was some light rain in the first few minutes, the students convinced the teachers to allow them to stay outside and had the rest of the hour to play on the playground. Some of the usual homework students came and asked me to play with them, ranging from talking on the swings to tetherball, which I have not played since first grade. One of the main things I took away this week was the large difference in age between myself and the students. Besides being called “old” once they figured out that I was older than 13, these students are more aware of social media and pop culture than I am at the “old” age of 20.

My last visit was almost a slow recap of the whole year, doing some painting, building, game playing, and talking to the children. I was a bit emotional honesty, I loved this experience and hope to be able to continue this next semester. Playing and speaking to the children was so fulfilling, their innocence and unintentional humor brightened my life here at Cornell, even in the dreariest times of spring semester. I believe BMJ is a great school, shining in diversity and with teaching staff that are such great folk. They really do their best to let these kids have fun after school and learn and create, all prime aspects of childhood development. I learned the importance of getting off of campus every couple of weeks, as well as how to communicate and bond with all differently aged children. I learned that they know more than I had thought, though odd mixes of information. I relearned how to play my childhood board games and how to play “Catch the Bacon.” It was so meaningful to walk into the classroom and to have the children remember you. It was like a little reminder than I exist, and that I am a person that people see. I remember the children back, and together these little moments of bonding have created a special friendship that I could not be more thankful for.

I LOVED my time volunteering.

Today was my last day at Beverly J. Martin (BJM) sadly. Reflecting on my time as a volunteer at the school has been emotional. My time with the kids will be unforgettable. I feel like I had a small impact on the kids time at the A+ program. Through spending time with some of them one-on-one homework or projects or playing a game with them in a group. I was delighted that some of them remembered my name. Most of the students recognize my face. It is especially heartwarming when I am on campus, and some of the kids who are at events with their parents know me and come up and say hi. I think I did an excellent job as a volunteer and I enjoyed my time at BJM. I loved how diverse the students and staff were and how the program truly allowed the students to explore through play or allowed them time to get work done. For my last day, I was in the gym with the kids. I spent my time with some kids playing basketball and spent my time speaking to one student who was sitting on the sidelines because she said she wasn’t feeling well. From spending time with a range of students from kindergarten through fifth grade, I noticed that I tend to like spending time with the younger kids than the older kids. I feel like this could be due to my interest in early childhood education. I also find it very entertaining to strike up a conversation with the younger kids because they say the funniest things. The older crowd is a bit more serious and is harder to speak to unless you know something related to Fortnite or L.O.L. dolls. I didn’t know much about either of those things before volunteering, but throughout my time at BJM I feel like the kids have taught me more than I have taught them! For that reason, I can say that I am thrilled that I am going into the field of education and I am very thankful for the Rose Scholar program for giving me this opportunity to live out my passion while at Cornell.