Mia Romano served as a children’s literacy tutor in the Literacy AmeriCorps program in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. She reflected on her experience in her two years.
“After graduating from undergrad, I decided to take a bit of a break from school, and I felt like I needed a change of scenery. I was already familiar with AmeriCorps, as many students from my department pursued AmeriCorps post-graduation, so I decided to look into it for myself. I came across the Literacy AmeriCorps of Palm Beach County program and I was hesitant to apply at first because my background was in sustainability science — not literacy or education. However, I was passionate about helping others and I was eager to experience living somewhere outside of South Carolina, so I chose to apply anyway.
During my first year with Literacy AmeriCorps, I served as a Graduation Coach at Boynton Beach Community High School, where I provided academic guidance to junior and senior students to keep them on track for graduation. In my second year, I served as a Children’s Literacy Tutor at Northmore Elementary School, where I supported elementary students reading below grade level through daily tutoring sessions. I also served as a College and Career Readiness Coach with Scholar Career Coaching, where I assisted high school students in achieving their college and career goals.
Literacy AmeriCorps had a profound impact on my life, and I will forever cherish my time with this program. Through my various roles, I was able to empower and guide students toward academic success and personal growth and motivate them to reach their goals. I am so grateful to have been able to dedicate two years of my life to serving others. I would recommend this program to everyone — even if it does not exactly align with your background.”
She also reflected on working with a student at Northmore Elementary School. “I saw Anthony transform from a disruptive student who did not want to do his work to a student who was excited to meet with me each day and work on his reading. I know that Anthony was an intelligent child, and he just needed some guidance in focusing on his work and not letting others distract him or upset him. At the end of the year, I was notified that Anthony tested Blue, which meant he was reading on grade level. He also made the Principal’s Honor Roll. He made my year even more memorable.”
