Meet Dino, a dedicated tutor with Catholic Community Services’ Youth Tutoring Program (YTP) at the Lake City Center. He’s a remarkable volunteer who currently works with two student scholars, a first grader and a fourth grader. Dino volunteers for an hour with each student every week and helps them with reading and homework, provides math resources and, at times, uses his own resources to enhance their learning experience.

Before retiring in 2017, Dino spent 37 years in the tech industry. He also spent time as a high school track and field coach and substitute teacher. Dino’s journey with YTP began four years ago when he moved from San Francisco to Seattle in 2020 to be closer to his daughter. In early 2021, while looking for something meaningful to do, he stumbled across the opportunity to tutor and took a shot at it.

Initially, the tutoring sessions were remote due to the pandemic. Despite some of the challenges this posed, such as not always knowing the scholars or ensuring they had something to do while online, Dino enjoyed the flexibility of it.

Since his extensive tech background involved connecting with people all over the world, working virtually was a familiar concept to him. A year into his volunteering with YTP, they transitioned back to in-person tutoring sessions.

Moving to Seattle marked a new chapter in Dino’s life, and tutoring became a significant part of it. Even though he had no prior tutoring experience, he embraced the opportunity because it gave him the chance to do something educational and, ultimately, he found a lot of joy in it. Volunteering became an anchor in his retirement, connecting him to the outside world, reminiscent of his tech days and the people he partnered with globally.

Tutoring twice a week at 4:30pm gives Dino a sense of purpose, belonging, routine, and stability and helps him stay engaged with the community. For him, every tutoring session is memorable, whether it’s reading a book that he enjoyed as a child to a scholar or sharing a laugh with them. Each day brings its own unique moments and a
special sense of connection.

But one of Dino’s most memorable moments was at a YTP fundraiser. He was tutoring a scholar at the time, and during the event, they were invited on stage and asked questions like “Where did you grow up?” and “What’s important to you about tutoring? What do you want to be when you grow up?”

The scholar, a four-foot tall first grader, wore a suit for the occasion and handled the spotlight with grace despite his initial nervousness – confidence certainly nurtured by regular tutoring sessions.

Dino’s commitment, heart, and passion for tutoring make him an invaluable part of the YTP community. His story is a testament to the impact of volunteering and the joy it brings to both the tutors and YTP’s scholars.

This article is courtesy of RSVP, Retired Senior Volunteer Program. You can view their most recent newsletter here.