Q: How would you describe yourself to someone who had never met you before?
A: I’m recently retired. I retired about three years ago. Throughout my entire career, which began in the mid 70s in New York City, I was a writer, first for publishing companies and then for advertising agencies, both consumer advertising and business to business. I left NYC and came back to Ohio, where I’m from. I continued to work in advertising. I’ve always worked in the world of commerce, working for clients who paid us money to market and promote their work. That’s one of the things I’m excited about in my post-retirement years. The way I spend my time now couldn’t be more different. It makes me feel balanced.
Q: What’s a fun fact about yourself?
A: My years in New York City were pretty exciting. Throughout the years in my field of advertising, I frequently encountered a lot of interesting people, a lot of famous people and celebrities. I also played in a chamber orchestra. I played the cello with the chamber orchestra in New York City. That was pretty exciting. We played at a venue called Symphony Space, and we had audiences and sold tickets and all of that.
Q: When did you first become involved with the International Institute of Akron?
A: This was pre-pandemic. It was four years ago. I had recently retired, and I started working as an assistant with Mahananda, one of the institute’s teachers. I had never taught before, so I just watched him closely and did what he did and what he asked me to do.
Q: What inspired you to get involved?
A: A friend of mine was answering phones for the Institute back when they were on Tallmadge Avenue. It always sounded intriguing to me. I didn’t know that much about it, but I liked the fact that it was the “International” Institute. When I looked into it more, I realized there was a need for help in the ESL classrooms. That appealed to me. I didn’t have a background in that field, but I felt like I was making a difference.
Q: What are your duties as a volunteer?
A: I was asked by the volunteer director if I would be willing to teach my own class, and I said yes. The pandemic hit, and there were no more in-person classes. All of the classes were being taught online. One thing I learned from Mahananda is the importance of being there in person for people to do a lot of acting out to convey the meaning of a word or an idea. Then when classes returned to in person again, I was given my own class. A lot of the details had to be figured out in terms of what levels of English I would be teaching. One of my colleagues from Leadership Akron expressed interest in helping me teach classes. Together, we tackle 1D, the highest level of English that a student can take through the International Institute of Akron. After that, they’re sent to Project Learn. Together, we’ve worked out lesson plans from the textbook, and we teach on Mondays on Wednesdays. It’s been very exciting to meet everyone, especially a lot of students from Afghanistan who are here on an SIV visa. It’s been especially heartwarming to welcome them as well as students who have just arrived from Ukraine.
Q: What contribution or achievement are you most proud of?
A: Now that I’m not working in the world of commerce and profit, I’m proud that after retirement I can feel useful and vital in another way. I know it’s not some people’s idea of retirement, but it’s working for me. I think I would have a hard time just waking up each day with no real goals or plans other than to entertain myself.
Q: What is your favorite memory about volunteering with the International Institute of Akron?
A: The thing I feel most satisfied about is just the interaction with the students. It’s very satisfying to hear so many of them after they’ve completed the class tell Peggy and me how important they thought the classes were and how much they’ve learned. It feels good to know that they’ve found the classes useful.
Q: What is the biggest challenge that you have faced in your volunteer role?
A: There’s a big difference between beginning English and the level of English I’m teaching. One challenge was to synthesize a smaller number of lessons from a huge textbook. I wanted to make choices that would represent a good summary of the textbook. I thought it was important to choose useful skills in terms of English lessons, such as how to talk about healthcare, how to interact with doctors, and how to make a 911 call.
Q: What would you like to see IIA accomplish in the future?
A: I hope all of the students’ needs are being considered and answered. I know each student’s time with the Institute is limited. It doesn’t go on forever. So, I can only hope that when that time comes for a student to leave the International Institute that they’re still getting the kinds of assistance and help they need.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share?
A: I’ve been invited to the homes of some of the people associated with the International Institute, and it’s been a wonderful experience to go to the home of a person from a culture so different from mine. It feels really good to reassure them that most Americans are welcoming people who are glad they are here. Our community can only be enhanced because of what they bring to it, and I wish everyone could think that way. I’m so glad that Akron has been designated as a location for a lot of refugees. I think that speaks well of our city. My own grandfather came from Italy, and 100 years ago a lot of Italian immigrants settled in North Hill. And now that same neighborhood is assimilating refugees from Bhutan and Nepal and Afghanistan. There’s something right about a town that accepts people who need a new place to call home.