SPEAKER_00
Good morning everyone.
My name is Jack Koo and I've been a part of Team Read for more than a third of my life.
I was a student reader in elementary school.
I was a reading coach and a site assistant for middle and high school and it's left a large impact on my life.
In elementary school I had limited exposure to English because my parents were immigrants and they didn't speak any English.
At home everything we had was in Chinese, we watched Chinese TV, all the books were in Chinese and my only interaction with English was at school with my peers or with my teacher.
Initially this was fine but after the years it became evident that I was falling behind with my peers and Team Read came at this crucial moment because after the second and third grade, once you start moving into fourth and fifth grade, it becomes really hard to catch up to your peers because you're not only falling behind in English and reading, you're falling behind in math, you're falling behind in science, you're falling behind in social interaction.
And through Team Read, it made me more comfortable with English, more comfortable with reading.
It taught me that it was okay to ask questions and how to ask questions.
So in middle school when a representative from Team Reed came and was looking for volunteers, I took this opportunity to give back to the community that had helped me so much.
And my first and one of my most memorable students, his name was Yakub.
He, in general, he has reminded me of myself when I was his age since His parents were immigrants from Ethiopia.
They didn't speak English.
Yakub himself had limited interaction with English and he was shy.
He, in general, did not like reading.
It made him feel inferior.
It was something frustrating.
I knew how this feeling was.
I knew how he felt.
So I wanted to help him as my reading coaches helped me.
So what I did was I was patient with him.
I kept encouraging him to read more and more difficult books.
I kept encouraging him to ask questions.
If he had anything that he wanted help with, ask questions.
Anything you don't understand, ask questions.
And after he graduated the program, after the second and third grade, he was able to ask questions.
He enjoyed reading.
He was able to work with other people, not including, not just me.
He was able to work with other staff at the school.
He was able to ask his friends for help.
and while this is one case I worked with Team Reed as a tutor for five years all the way through high school and in junior and senior year I was also site assistant and the beauty of being a site assistant is Instead of working with one student one on one, I worked with 30 students.
I worked with the entire site and the best thing about working with the entire site is I was able to see 30 students improve before me.
I was able to watch 30 students grow over the school year and just watch them flourish and enjoy reading.
While currently I am a sophomore at UW studying computer engineering and while I'm not in a liberal arts or a teaching field, team read has left a lasting effect on my life.
For example, If I have trouble, I know how to ask clarifying questions.
I know how to show people how to ask others for help, which is something a lot of people my age have a problem doing.
Just being able to walk up to a TA or walking up to a professor and asking a question and knowing what they're struggling with and how to ask for help.
And in addition, being able to directly assist my peers without taking away the educational value of that experience.
In general, Team Read has left a permanent mark on who I am like it has everybody else who was in this program and I'm proud to say that I still enjoy reading and I still enjoy teaching others.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you.