Maggie Testori said that before she came to Learning Edge she “already had seen the magic of what one-to-one tutoring could do.” When she found Learning Edge, she enthusiastically jumped in as a mentor-tutor, cheerleader, and recruiter.
In 2015, some Beye Elementary students needed additional academic support. Maggie spearheaded an effort to recruit over 40 students from Oak Park River Forest High School to tutor their younger peers…and the Cats and Dogs Tutoring Program was born (the name is a nod to Beye Bobcats and OPRF Huskies)! Maggie described the program as fun, well-supported, and mutually beneficial. When the Cats and Dogs program ended, Maggie knew she wanted to be a part of something with the same goal. The once-weekly St. Catherine-St. Lucy Learning Edge Tutoring program was the right fit!
Maggie has tutored at least six St. Catherine-St. Lucy students. What’s more, she has recruited several friends to volunteer alongside her. She draws from her recruiting experience with the Cats and Dogs Tutoring program: “We have such a vibrant community of open-hearted people who want to improve the lives of our community children. When both the need and the volunteers are both right there, all we have to do is link them.”
Maggie has also helped grow the library curriculum at St. Catherine-St. Lucy. The library was being run by a longtime volunteer who wasn’t able to take on the role full-time or serve the entire student body. Maggie and several other Learning Edge tutors stepped up to teach library classes for 4th through 8th graders, enhanced the book selection with donations, and helped with the organization and upkeep of the space. “We have staff picks, read alouds, and of course for us there’s the added benefit of seeing the students we once tutored stopping by for hugs!” she explained.
So what else does Maggie consider the “magic” of Learning Edge? In her words: “I love that young people know they have an additional adult who cares about them, is invested in their future, and is in their corner cheering for them. I love that we have the opportunity to make an impact; Obviously these students are behind for a myriad of reasons and we can fill in spots where they’re struggling. I love the diversity of the program and that I have an opportunity to find commonalities with these students; We’re more alike than different!”
If tutoring is magic, we’re nothing without our magic-makers–the community members who step up to meet needs and help one another. And unlike most traditional magicians, Maggie is happy to tell you the trick behind it all, “if anyone is seeking a way to make a difference–we can’t always do something about the really big things, but choosing one way to show up for little changes in our community is something we can all be doing.”