This week’s volunteer spotlight is about Jack, who has been involved with TOPS for three semesters now as both an Educational Coach and Academic Tutor. Jack learned about TOPS from his
sister, who was involved with the program during her time as an undergraduate student. When asked about his favorite part of volunteering with TOPS, Jack said: “I get to interact with and help mentor some incredible young people at key points in their lives.” In Jack’s time as a volunteer so far, there is a memory that sticks with him the most:
I was an Ed Coach for a student who struggled with public speaking. We were in a communications class and we spent a lot of time preparing for his first big speech. It was a lot of work, but the final product was great. I was so proud of how hard my student had worked.
In the future, Jack wants to go to medical school and become a physician specializing in orthopedics. “TOPS has taught me a lot about patience, as well as trying to see things from other people’s perspectives. Such skills will be valuable in my future career as a physician.”
Besides his love for hiking and being outdoors, Jack stays busy in a variety of clubs and other involvements on campus, such as Rally Cap Sports, the MOvES and ATR labs, Sigma Phi Epsilon, and more.
If Jack could tell someone thinking about volunteering with TOPS one thing, he would say: “TOPS is not just an opportunity to help others. You will come out of your experience a better, more well-rounded person.”
The TOPS Staff would like to thank Jack for his dedication to the TOPS Program. Jack is very helpful in his role as an educational coach. The student he works with said that other students in the class sometimes think Jack is a teaching assistant!