English # 13

Every Tuesday afternoon, the little buddies and big buddies of College Mentors meet in TC112, and begin their activity for the week. As I sit with Jack, I notice that he is a very observant child. He always looks around and is watching what everyone else is doing. This week is the first week that I started coming to CMFK as not only a mentor but also as an observer for my mini ethnography project. I notice the other kids talking to their big buddies, all with a lot of excitement and enthusiasm. Jack is always talkative, but he is also always observant. This is important in the setting we're in at College Mentors, because Jack is here to learn about College, in hopes that one day he will choose to attend. Although this experience isn't one in which I've interviewed someone or necessarily researched something, it is very important to me, because it reminds me why I am writing my ethnography and why it is important. My research and writing for this ethnography is important because volunteering is rewarding not only for the person receiving the volunteer work, but also for the person volunteering. Jack in this case is learning about college, and will hopefully remember his experience when he's deciding weather he wants to attend college or not. The experience is very rewarding and important to me because as a future educator, I enjoy seeing children like Jack engaged in thinking and curious about his surroundings.