This month, we are congratulating our tutor-learner pair Pedro, a rising seventh-grader from Brunswick, and Linda Trapp.

Matched in July 2024, Pedro and Linda have come so far and done so much these past two years. “When I first met Pedro,” shared Linda, “he didn’t smile much and now he smiles a lot.” Pedro was a very reticent, cautious child, reluctant to speak and unsure about tutoring sessions with a virtual stranger. But with gentle persistence and her own big smile, Linda first gained Pedro’s trust through low-key reading and writing activities and then by offering extra-curricular fun: sledding, pickleball, Pedro’s school musical, and riding horses at the MCL Readers Ride event two years in a row.

“I have watched Pedro improve in reading,” Linda added. “It’s fun to hear him read. Now he puts inflection in his voice as he reads the lines of characters in our books.” Pedro is appreciative of all Linda has done with him, too. “It feels nice to be here and learning. I learned a lot of things with Linda, and it’s really nice to also go outside and do activities.” As Linda and Pedro head into their third year working together, it is sure to be filled with more good books, lots of discussions, and many more adventures.