Volunteer Spotlight: Jane

Jane is only in her second year as a volunteer tutor with Project Build, but her perspective on literacy, learning, and what it means to show up for someone week after week has already left a mark on The Literacy Alliance. We sat down with her to talk about what brought her here, the moments that have stayed with her, and why this work matters.

How long have you been involved with The Literacy Alliance, and in what roles?

“I am a newcomer to The Literacy Alliance, only in my second year of volunteering as a tutor with Project Build.”

What inspired you to volunteer with TLA?

Jane’s path to tutoring started at a community college, where she worked in a program serving students facing specific challenges. “I found that work to be the most rewarding job I’d ever had,” she said. That experience gave her a front row seat to newer thinking about learning and student success, shaped by scientific advances like brain imaging. “Some of the recommended learning strategies that exist today are so different from what I was told to do in my life as a student.”

After she moved on to a different job, that knowledge stuck with her. “I always felt that what I’d learned was just too good and important to keep to myself. I felt like I was sitting on a goldmine, and I wanted to share it.”

What has been the most meaningful or rewarding part of your experience so far?

For Jane, it comes down to a specific moment that repeats itself with every student she works with: the instant something clicks. “There are recurring moments when a student gains a new understanding. It shows all over them, and it’s beautiful. I love being a part of that.”

Is there a particular moment, student, or experience that has stayed with you?

One story stands out. A young woman in the Project Build program, who had never held a formal job, had to leave before finishing. “I thought of her often after our tutoring ended,” Jane said. Months later, she ran into the same student, now working her first job. The student told Jane she had come back to The Literacy Alliance and enrolled in HSE prep. “What a thrill that was!”

What have you learned about yourself or others through your time with TLA?

“Small, consistent steps toward a goal pay off. This is basic. Watching these students put in the work week after week keeps proving this truth. I’m so impressed and proud of them. And I feel it myself, as I prepare for our meetings.”

Why is TLA’s work important to our community?

Jane sees literacy as foundational, not just to individual opportunity, but to society itself. “Being literate improves the quality of human life in society. This is a fundamental reality that continually proves true in lived experience. It’s foundational to the existence of civilization.” She believes access to literacy is a shared responsibility. “Making sure that ways to attain literacy are within reach of every citizen who chooses to pursue literacy is a social obligation that makes life better for us all. For Northeast Indiana, The Literacy Alliance is the best available path I know of.”

What is a favorite book you would recommend to others, and why?

Jane laughed off the question at first. “This is a very hard question. It’s a lot like being asked which breath I’ve ever taken has been my favorite.”

Narrowed to the context of her tutoring work, though, she landed on Mindset by Carol Dweck. “This book presents ideas that are simple but profound. It’s easy to grab the main point of this work and gloss over the depth that’s in here, though. I reread this a couple of times before it really opened up to me, and I’m glad I did.” She added that some of what she was taught as a child runs counter to Dweck’s findings. “I’m grateful for these insights.”

Is there anything else you’d like to share about your journey with TLA?

“Just that I hope to continue this journey for a very long while. I’m very glad to be here.”

Interested in becoming a tutor with The Literacy Alliance? Visit our volunteer page to learn how you can get involved with Project Build and other programs serving Northeast Indiana.