Volunteer Profile: Ariella Pasackow

Ariella is a Program Officer at RefugePoint and a Cambridge Mentor

 I found Enroot online after searching for volunteer opportunities with immigrants and refugees in the greater Boston area. I have tutored English Language Learners in the past, and currently work for a refugee resettlement agency in Cambridge, but was very excited to be working with young adults in my neighborhood in such a comprehensive and  holistic integration model.

 I was matched with a CRLS sophomore in March 2015, just three months after she arrived in the US with her family from India. Since then, we have met on a weekly basis to discuss her homework, job, and friends, along with everything she learns in the Leadership Seminar with Enroot. We’ve watched Bollywood movies and music videos together, walked around Harvard campus, and spent time with family and friends. Having both lived in India before moving to Cambridge, we talk a lot about her hometown, school, and life in Gujarat.

What excites me the most about Enroot is that they care about the whole student-not just grades or test scores. Through mentoring, tutoring, job opportunities, field trips, and seminars, students get 360 degrees of support on top of their typical school day. Full time staff are dedicated to student and volunteer success, and the impact is measurable. The students want to be there, the volunteers keep coming back, and the entire experience is positive, productive, and powerful.

Enroot is an incredible network of students, volunteers, staff and supporters; I am lucky to consider myself a part of the family!

Somerville Student Writes about her Mentor and Tutor

Hi, my name is Kela, and I’m in 11th grade at Somerville High School. I’m originally from Port-au-Prince in Haiti.

For my 18th birthday in February, my mentor Afton and my tutor Caitlin celebrated with me and a friend by going out to eat together. We went to Redbones in Davis Square and had a lot of fun. Afton chose the place to eat because I didn’t know where to go, but I really liked the BBQ sandwich. It was the best birthday ever! When I go out with them, we have a lot of fun together.

I like my mentor and tutor because they are awesome and really help when I don’t know what to do. Afton has really helped me write my resume to help apply for jobs and college. When I was struggling with my science fair project and I didn’t know what to write about or where to start, Caitlin gave me a brilliant idea what to write about, and she helped me write the project. Enroot is really a great program because I’m able to have a tutor, and talk to someone about college.

Thank you.

Volunteer Profile: Tal Havivi

Tal Havivi works as Education Advisor at Amazon and is a second-year Cambridge Mentor

My volunteer experience has been eye-opening and meaningful. In addition to feeling like I’ve made a strong impact on someone’s life, I have grown a lot as an individual in how I interact with my mentee, other relationships in my life, and professionally as well.

I love spending time with my mentee, and I also enjoy having conversations with other mentors about their experiences and how to work through difficult situations. The Enroot staff is very supporting and creates a great experience for the mentees and mentors. This experience has been very meaningful to me. It is easy to get caught up in my personal/professional life and, in addition to making a big impact on my mentee, volunteering with Enroot has helped give me a better perspective on day-to-day life.