Jack McLennan
About Jack…
In a very short period of time, Jack McLennan has become a celebrated Rebound volunteer. Since early 2021, Jack has volunteered as a virtual tutor for a young man struggling in math through Rebound’s READbound tutoring program. Says Jack, “My strength through school was math which made me want to give back by teaching what I knew to [my tutee]. It brings me great happiness seeing him engaged in the problems we work through and asking constructive questions.
“His Mom now reports to me that his confidence in the math classroom has increased exponentially. He is now answering questions the teacher asks and is leading discussions with his classmates. It is nice to see how much I have changed [my tutee’s] mathematical abilities in the past 18 months by simply taking the initiative to sign up as a volunteer tutor and commit to helping him one afternoon every week. Through this consistent commitment I have noticed that he is showing up on time more often and is happier to be on the call. He also seems to understand that I’m there to take the time with him, to go through concepts slowly and explain them in a slightly different way than how he is learning them at school. He keeps me updated with his test results; he has gone from barely passing to consistently scoring in the mid-eighties. I am thrilled for him and excited to see how much further he progresses this year.”
Why do you feel it’s important to volunteer?
Volunteering is a great way for me to give back to others. I was fortunate enough in public school that math came quite naturally to me but as I observed the classroom I realized that wasn’t the case for everyone. Upon graduation, I wanted to do what I could to help students that were struggling. For me, I feel volunteering is so important because I am able to make a real difference in someone’s life. It is impossible to tell where that will take the student in the future, however, it is rewarding to know that I am making a difference.
The theme for this year’s National Volunteer Week is ‘Volunteering is Empathy in Action’. What does that statement mean to you?
Wholeheartedly, I believe this statement to be true. I am a volunteer because I was able to experience my classmates in school struggling with math concepts, and truthfully, as the math got harder throughout high school there were certain topics that I found tough to grasp. These feelings are not enjoyable so I aim to alleviate some of the stress that comes along with not understanding math concepts. As I work through my tutee’s misunderstandings it is important to empathize with him. The support students get at school is sometimes not the necessary amount so it is crucial to approach every misunderstanding with empathy and understanding.
In a world where we expect to be compensated financially for the work we do, what value is there to volunteering?
It is nice to do something for the pure purpose of giving to others. Not only does it make a huge impact on other people’s lives but it always leaves me feeling fulfilled inside. The value I get from volunteering is not something that can be substituted for monetary compensation. Giving back is something that I want to do a lot of as I get older, I know that starting now and gaining experience in the volunteer field is only going to widen my lens, which I am grateful for.
What advice would you give someone who is thinking about volunteering?
“If you are on the fence about volunteering I would say you just need to take the leap and do it! There is a certain feeling that I get when I volunteer that I can’t put into words, but it fills me with joy and puts me in a good mood. Having the ability to give back to others and make a direct impact on somebody’s life is such a rewarding feeling. These small actions go a long way and the best part about it is that everyone has the ability to volunteer at Rebound because they are always looking for different skill sets.”