Roger's Story

Originally from the West Indies, Roger has lived for 30 years in the US, and spent 20 years in Washington, DC. He has worked as a dietary cook in a hospital, a diesel mechanic, and also performed safety inspections for the MBTA. But when he saw the troubles that the kids in his community were having in school, he joined Generations Incorporated to help. “I saw the needs the kids have,” he says, “listening on the radio and TV gave me the urge to see what’s going on. I think the media’s not giving all the news about education problems.”

Roger visits the Marshall two days a week to help students who struggle to read. He gives them one-to-one attention and coaching with vocabulary and comprehension. He also tries to give them the confidence they need to become self-sufficient readers. “I try to help them help themselves. I am paying back to society.”

Yet the lessons his students learn are applicable to more than the books they read. As a volunteer Roger performs many different roles. “You have to act as teacher, as parent, as professor. I teach them not just to read and write, but … how to prepare for tomorrow. Some of them have no foundation. If you don’t have a good foundation -- it’s like a house -- you will fall.”

Roger is working very hard to help his students build a solid foundation. It is a long and sometimes arduous process, but Roger is committed to the struggle. And, even after three years as an Experience Corps volunteer, he still finds himself pleasantly surprised from time-to-time: “This one kid, it’s always hard to get him to settle down, and I tried everything. One week I missed [our session], because I was sick. When I came back, he said, ‘I didn’t see you last week.’ I said, ‘I didn’t know you missed me.’"