Volunteer Spotlight: Sara Reynolds

June 23, 2023

With the recent end of the 2022-23 school year, we want to celebrate another year of tutoring by highlighting one of the many Heart Tutors that play an essential role in supporting Charlotte students. This Volunteer Spotlight focuses on Sara Reynolds, who just finished her third year as a Heart Tutor. Sara discovered Heart Math Tutoring through her church, Carmel Baptist, during the peak of the pandemic, and given the isolation the pandemic produced, “I wanted to do something to connect with and serve others,” Sara said. She has supported many students during her years of tutoring, providing them with foundational math instruction as well as one-on-one mentorship. Sara says she loves seeing the pride her students have when they have an “a-ha moment” and finally grasp a concept. She also finds fulfillment in watching her students succeed and grow in their skills throughout the course of the program. She notes, “Some of the most rewarding moments have been when my students have made it through all their [concept notebooks] and graduated from the program.”

Outside of Heart, Sara is a stay-at-home mom to three teenage boys, and prior to that, she worked as an elementary school teacher. The skills she learned in her career have impacted her work as a Heart Tutor and her ability to connect with the students she tutors, which she does by talking to them about their personal interests and hobbies outside of school. This past year, Sara volunteered as a virtual tutor at Starmount Academy of Excellence, where her HMT Program Coordinator, Haritha Wunnava, calls Sara her “gold star tutor.” Haritha also considers Sara to be a role model for herself because of her consistent attendance, preparation for sessions, and positivity. Haritha says that Sara “engages her students in the curriculum through relevant questioning and motivates them to try harder.” When asked what she would say to someone who is thinking about volunteering with Heart, Sara responded, “Working with Heart is an extremely rewarding experience. It brings me great joy to meet with my students, and to watch them grow in their understanding of math and confidence in themselves.”

Thank you, Sara, and all of Heart’s volunteers for the time, energy, and effort you put into your students and Heart as a whole– we are deeply grateful!

Join Sara as a volunteer tutor during the 2023/24 school year with just 1 hour a week! Sign up at https://heartmathtutoring.org/volunteers/become-a-volunteer/ or email volunteer@heartmathtutoring.org for more information!