Literacy volunteers provide tools for success

• Emoke Kotroczo, a native of Hungary studying English, is adamant that LVSC makes a difference.
• Literacy Volunteers of Somerset County Executive Director Jay Muldoon, who started a literacy tutor, knows the importance of literacy.
• LVSC, as a nonprofit organization, is trying to meet the growing demand for literacy services.

Emoke Kotroczo is very bright.

In her homeland, Kotroczo, 37, a resident of the Somerset section of Franklin, studied agriculture engineering and economics. But her homeland of Budapest, Hungary, is a long way from Franklin Township. You could say it is a world away.

And a new world presents new challenges.

“When we arrived in the United States almost two years ago and we spent almost three months in the hotel, I had no job and no work permit, so I tried to learn English better,” said Kotroczo, who came to the United States with her husband. “I didn’t understand. I tried listening to television and learning online. I went to the Franklin Township Library, but there was no free place, the conversation group was full.

“The receptionist at the library mentioned Literacy Volunteers of Somerset County (LVSC). I checked on the Internet and I found their conversation group at the Bound Brook Library. They were very kind and told me there was a free place and I could enjoy it,” she said.

Despite feeling nervous, Kotroczo gave it a chance.

“I didn’t know what would happen. After that I realized that it was OK. Others were like me or weaker than me. ... I needed a review of basics. I learned new words and expressions. I learned a lot about American people daily life and things that I didn’t know before.”

The literacy training has been an incredible help, but challenges remain. Finding the time to learn every day is not easy, Kotroczo said.

“I should study every day. Before I got a job, I tried to do that, but now that I work, it’s harder to find the free time,” she said. “Because my English has improved it helped me to find a job. And actually I am really happy that the job is in my field.”

Kotroczo said that everyone at LVSC was kind and helpful. After attending conversation group for a while, it was recommended that she get a regular tutor.

“They found me the best teacher and it was very good for me. My classmate from Russia didn’t have a good teacher. Not everyone had a good experience, so I was very lucky,” she said

Kotroczo is adamant that LVSC makes a difference.

“Many people give up learning English too early. They need to come to Literacy Volunteers and to believe in themselves.”

Helping those in need takes special talents

Literacy Volunteers of Somerset County Executive Director Jay Muldoon, who started with the organization as a literacy tutor, knows the importance of literacy.

“The ability to speak, read, write and comprehend English is a foundational skill needed to live a functional and successful life in New Jersey, said Muldoon, 59, a native of New York and resident of Metuchen. “Unfortunately, there is less government funding and fewer programs available to help adults become more literate. Illiteracy leads to lower levels of employment, less earning ability, higher health-care costs, and low involvement in a child’s school and education. Once the impacts of illiteracy are known, hopefully the investment can be made in programs to help adults become more literate and productive. This is what LVSC works to achieve every day.

“While working at AT&T in Warren, I was part of a small group of employees who volunteered to become literacy tutors with LVSC. I completed the training program in 1998 and tutored for about two years. I remember being inspired by the director, Gabrielle Kahn, who first came to speak to employees at AT&T. That made me take the first step of signing up to become a tutor.”

Seeing the organization as a group of very dedicated volunteers committed to helping people improve their lives, Muldoon became familiar with people and life experiences that he normally would not have encountered otherwise.

“Learning about the challenges people with limited literacy skills and lack of English skills deal with was eye-opening,” he said.

From the start, Muldoon knew it was going to be a challenge.

“When I first became a tutor, the thought of teaching someone who spoke very little English seemed overwhelming,” he said. “Could I do it? After spending a few sessions with my student and seeing his commitment to learning English, I realized I could help him achieve his goals.”

“I wish more people were aware of how our volunteer tutors and ESL teachers are making a difference in the lives of the 200-plus adults we serve every year. I wish more people recognized that adult illiteracy and limited English skills are things that limit opportunities for people. LVSC helps people overcome those obstacles and achieve their personal and work goals.

“The best thing I did was to get involved as a volunteer tutor. It has provided me with many great learning opportunities and I’ve met many remarkable people — tutors, students, board members, staff members from the Somerset County Library System who all care deeply about helping adults become more engaged and literate members of our community. My experience with LVSC ultimately led me to becoming the executive director of LVSC.”

Special people provide special tools

It is the literacy tutors that provide the specific tools that put students on the road to success.

Kathy England, 61, of Piscataway, wanted to help people in an “important way.”

“When I retired from my very busy job as an executive director at AT&T, I knew that I wanted to use some of the free time I was acquiring to give back to the community,” England said. “I checked into various volunteer opportunities, but when I thought of Literacy Volunteers, it really resonated with me because of the pleasure and learning that I have derived from my own love of reading. LVSC was the closest Literacy Volunteers program.”

Although being concerned about being a tutor with minimal background/experience to prepare her for it, she was happily impressed with the five-week tutor training program that LVSC offered.

England, who holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Rutgers University, has put much into the program but has gotten a great deal out of it, as well.

“One of the most impactful relationships to me was my first student, about 20 years younger than me, a high-school drop-out and an ex-con. Before getting to know him, I don’t think I really understood at a gut level that people can totally change the course of their lives. He’s a great person and we became friends. I still hear from him periodically,” England said.

“You get so attached to your students. It’s challenging to remember that I can be a tutor and a friend, but I am not a trained social worker and I shouldn’t insert myself into that role.”

England said that the best thing that has happened to her as a volunteer is the friendships she has made.

“My current student got a good job. We had used class time to prepare for the interview and when she got the offer, which made her very happy, she told me it was my job too, because I had helped.”

England adds that the downside to volunteering is saying goodbye when a student moves on.

“Luckily, they keep in touch,” she said.

England noted that schools need to figure out how to help adult immigrants.

Ken Strahs, of the Basking Ridge section of Bernards, was looking for a volunteer opportunity and saw a posting on a United Way website. Impressed by a local county agency with national affiliations, Strahs felt he was joining an organization with clear objectives and with experience as how to achieve them. He also was not able to make the first training class and was grateful that the executive director arranged for a private tutoring session so he would not fall behind.

“I was impressed by LVSC’s support of its volunteers, the study materials and the approach to teaching English to speakers of other languages,” he said.

“I have been impressed by their high level of literacy, their drive to improve their English and their motivation to keep working at it,” Strahs said of his students. “In many cases, their English is better than they think. All they need is experience and confidence. I lead a conversation group with people from all over the world. It is stimulating and great fun.”

Strahs, who this year was recognized as LVSC’s Tutor of the Year, indicated that students are busy people leading complicated lives. He said it is challenging to find efficient approaches to helping them learn what they need with the right balance of variety, humor and content.

“Each student has a different objective in wanting to improve their English. Understanding their objectives and keeping the content relevant is a major challenge,” he said.

Committed people needed to join the effort

But regardless of the objective, tutors always are needed.

Retirees Brian and Rosanne Bozzone, of Hillsborough, were hoping to find some volunteer opportunities in the community they could do together. Impressed with the training offered by LVSC to prepare them to become ESL tutors and taking advantage of that, they have gained enjoyment and satisfaction from their volunteer work. Each said that their students display an exceptional level of motivation and hunger for knowledge of English and related cultural information.

The Bozzones said that one of the best things in their tutoring experience is seeing the weekly growth in their students in speaking, listening, reading and writing. During their first sessions, they worked on coaching the students to write a full sentence. Just a few months later, they are writing several good paragraphs.

The couple encourages people to register with LVSC, take the training and become tutors. They said that the training provided goes a long way to giving new volunteers the confidence, materials and techniques to succeed in ESL tutoring.

LVSC, as a nonprofit organization trying to meet the growing demand for literacy services in Somerset County, maintains that the greatest challenge is raising the funds needed to run its programs and serve its adult learners.

“I wish more corporations, organizations and residents would include Literacy Volunteers among the causes they donate to,” Muldoon said. “LVSC does not receive any government funding, so we rely on donations, grants and fundraising events to generate the funds needed for our programs.”

Special Central Jerseyans is a biweekly series by Jay Jefferson Cooke, assistant editor/print and columnist for the Courier News and Home News Tribune, about the people, places and organizations of Central Jersey that have positively influenced our community. Special Central Jerseyans appears alternate Mondays. Do you have a recommendation? Contact Cooke at 92 E. Main St. Suite 202, Somerville NJ 08876. Phone: 908-243-6603. Email: jjcooke@njpressmedia.com. Twitter: @JayJCookeCNHNT.

If you want to help

Anyone interested in donating to Literacy Volunteers of Somerset County may contact Jay Muldoon at 908-725-5430 or donate via the website www.literacysomerset.org.