Hello! My name is Qian and I am a proud volunteer at Saturday Academy. I am a part time student at Portland Community College and have been working a few nanny jobs this summer. I am currently taking a Criminal Justice elective course, however my interests range from social work to astronomy and everything in between. I’m not entirely set on a career path so it’s great to take opportunities to volunteer in the community so I can not only give back but discover new potential interests.
I come from a Montessori educational background, so I strongly stand behind the importance and effectiveness of hands on learning, which is exactly what Saturday Academy excels at. Before my volunteer orientation, I had no idea just how big SA was and how many students and communities it reaches. I wish I had known more about the awesome classes, camps and programs offered during my youth! If I was able to take classes now, some of the ones I’d choose would be:
Acting: The Not So Daily Show (I used to be involved in theater, I enjoy writing and I like watching the news, so how cool is it that this class includes aspects of all of those things!?)
Travel Photography (I hope to travel the world, so learning the basics of composing a beautiful photograph to document my trips would be fun and useful.)
App Inventor (Apps are all the rage these days and there seems to be one for anything you can think of. Who wouldn’t want to take a stab at making one of their own!?)
Find out more about the classes we are offering right now in visual and performing arts as well as computer technology.
I enjoy volunteering with SA because every shift is full of something new and exciting to do. My favorite task so far was organizing the K’Nex kits for summer classes. I got to sort an array of small Lego like pieces and make sure each kit was a complete set to create certain structures. The people in the office are friendly, enthusiastic and passionate about the mission of SA. The office environment is quiet, productive and cool (which was much appreciated during the summer spell!) I feel good about supporting such a positive organization. I think it’s wonderful that SA allows children and youth to explore their interests or dive into new things while making friendships, gaining experience and reinforcing the fun in learning.