Bill: Volunteer Teacher

Volunteer helps New Americans learn to drive, speak English

November 13, 2024 | Volunteers at the International Institute of Minnesota make our many programs and classes possible. We are so grateful for their dedication to welcoming and standing alongside New Americans! Learn more in this question and answer series about what inspires and motivates Bill, one of our volunteer Driver’s Education teachers and English class assistants.

1) Why do you choose to donate your time to the International Institute of Minnesota?

I choose to donate my time to IIMN because I’ve had a strong interest in helping refugees adjust to life in the United States and specifically the Twin Cities since the early 1980s when I first began English tutoring of two Haitian refugees. Shortly afterwards I began working for Catholic Charities in a position assisting New Americans seeking suitable employment. I have also had a longstanding interest in learning other languages including Russian, French, Spanish and Italian, and I actually taught high school French briefly over 40 years ago!

2) What kind of volunteering do you do with us?

Currently I volunteer in Stacy’s English A class every Wednesday morning and I also teach a Driver’s Education class afterwards for one hour.

3) Why is this work important to you?

I believe this work is important because assisting New Americans in learning to speak, understand and read English can greatly increase the likelihood of making a successful adjustment to American culture and society. If I can help out in even a small way by with this process then it is definitely time well spent. I keep coming back to IIMN because I get energized by being around so many motivated students and I’m privileged to work with such dedicated teachers like Stacy. I also enjoy the opportunity for students to teach me a few words of their respective languages, and as long as I don’t overdo it to Stacy’s mild chagrin, I sometimes get to speak to the students in their own language if it’s one that I know!

I believe this work is important because assisting New Americans in learning to speak, understand and read English can greatly increase the likelihood of making a successful adjustment to American culture and society.

4) Can you share a memory of a volunteer moment that helped make this work rewarding for you?

Every time that a student moves up a class level from A to B or to C is an important moment for them, and it is a tangible reward for their hard work and perseverance. For me it’s often bittersweet because I’m sad that I will no longer see them weekly in English A class, but I’m still likely to encounter students in the common areas or perhaps eventually in Driver’s Education class.

I had a very enjoyable moment several months ago when one of my former Driver’s Education students dropped by IIMN to inform me that he had just passed his written driver’s examination, and he wanted to thank me for teaching the class. I told him that he had worked very hard in and outside of class and deserved to be rewarded for his efforts.

5) What kind of impact do you hope your volunteer work has?

I hope that by treating the English language learners I work with as well as my Driver’s Education students with respect, encouragement and understanding, I can perhaps make a small impact in improving their successful learning of English and also the knowledge and understanding of the concepts of Minnesota Driver’s Education.

Thank you to Bill for sharing his story and to all our volunteers for the work that helps New Americans become self-sufficient and reach their dreams.