Dan's Story

Dan Houton has a lot of experience under his belt. After dividing his working career between time a contract administrator/negotiator for the federal government and the Air Force and time in the industrial field, he began to look elsewhere for opportunities to get more involved in his community. He participated in various community efforts, from promoting racial harmony, to lower-level political campaigning, to tutoring English to Vietnamese adults to pension assistance.

However, after reading about the MCAS and the effect it was having on local Boston students, Dan found a new calling: starting to teach children strong literacy skills earlier, rather than later. When he came across a notice at a local bank, advertising for volunteers to work with young children, he decided to seize the opportunity.

To ask a volunteer what it is they love best and what keeps them serving with us is a hard question to answer simply. Dan admits that while service can hold challenges, he knows he has made a contribution. Each of his students improve throughout the year, through the combined efforts of teachers, parents, AmeriCorps members, and Dan's own hard work.

Dan strongly values the friendships he has built with his fellow Experience Corps volunteers. He says that this group support really helps to make his service valuable.

However, it’s his relationship with the children he serves that makes Dan really smile. It’s those times he passes his students in the halls and they call out to him, “Hi, Mr. Dan!” It’s just a small token of feedback, but Dan believes it’s very important. Just a simple, familiar greeting serves as a daily reminder of what service is all about, as Dan says, “feeling worthwhile and [gaining] a sense of satisfaction.”