It was clear from the outset that Ja’Mai was a bright boy and had an excellent grasp on math.  He could also read well, when he was so inclined. Over time Ja’Mai and I progressed more easily into the work at hand followed by reading.   If the evening had gone well, we had at least 20 minutes left for a game of his choice. 

Rules were negotiable to Ja’Mai, and especially when playing a game, as he changed them to fit the moment.  Nonetheless we had fun and our rapport grew steadily over the months that followed. My level of acceptance was highlighted one evening when Ja’Mai’s younger brother, Ja’Mari,  joined us.  Ja’Mai said to his brother, “You can sit with me and Mr. Quack.  He’s nice.”

Oh, we had our moments. Ja’Mai had evenings where he was headstrong, or grumpy from a bad day … and yet, our friendship was undeniable.

I very much enjoyed my many months with Ja’Mai.  The most difficult part was not the weekly challenge to help him continue to grow, rather it was knowing that each week might be our last. You enter into this tutoring collaboration hoping you can partner with a child long enough to make a difference, yet also hope they find permanent housing.  These thoughts are inherently at odds with each other in my mind and so it’s both a joyful and a sad week when finally they leave and the chair is replaced by another child pointing cheerfully at my name tag. 

Thank you Ja’Mai and Ja’Mari, for being a bright spot in my life.  I wish you both a wonderful life.  

We took the photo above at our last tutoring visit.

Donate Now