AJ Clifforde Alcover

This is my 7th semester tutoring over at Hope High School. In that time, I've learned so much, but the biggest reflection that I can think of is that the classroom is always a place of learning, especially as an adult. I learn through the way these kids learn, and I learn different tactics and strategies to effectively mentor the students to reach their potentials. Talking to so many different students has allowed me to see so many different perspectives and the willingness and potential that I am able to see in them makes me all the more excited to return, but also to move forward and be a mentor for students when I leave Brown.

I have had the privilege of working with high school students from the Waianae and Nanakuli areas of the island. I was their mentor during the College Camp Program of the Atherton branch of the Honolulu YMCA. It is a program that helps students from Low-income and underrepresented areas gain access to a college education. We had team building exercises and other activities that allowed that campers and mentors get to know one another on a very personal level. This was my favorite activity this entire summer.