As do many players in this league, I understand the importance of giving back to the community that has made me so fortunate in the recent past. That’s why, since moving to Chicago to be a part of the Blues organization, I’ve been tutoring kids in the offseason. I excelled in school from elementary on up, and I was lucky that it was fairly easy for me. As a result, I didn’t really develop any good study habits or learning strategies. I just counted on my natural intelligence and ability to pick up new things quickly. When I got to college, though, things got significantly more difficult. I had to start working, and I formed a new appreciation for the rigors of academia, starting from college and extending all the way down through elementary school.
Helping those who aren’t as lucky as I was, either in circumstance or random natural ability, has shown me the diversity of minds and abilities all across the spectrum of human experience. In so many cases, all these kids need is an attitude of self-belief, combined with an adult who treats them respectfully and nurturingly. Kids are thoughtful, capable, and surprising. Helping them in the offseason doesn’t earn me a whole lot of money, but what I gain from it is absolutely invaluable.
Word count: 218
Helping those who aren’t as lucky as I was, either in circumstance or random natural ability, has shown me the diversity of minds and abilities all across the spectrum of human experience. In so many cases, all these kids need is an attitude of self-belief, combined with an adult who treats them respectfully and nurturingly. Kids are thoughtful, capable, and surprising. Helping them in the offseason doesn’t earn me a whole lot of money, but what I gain from it is absolutely invaluable.
Word count: 218