Tutor Suzanne Warfel and Learner Mai Hinckley were matched almost two years ago. When Mai arrived from Japan, she knew only her American husband and his family, little English and less about life here.

She credits Suzanne for “giving me advice and encouragement in many aspects of my life as I adjusted to a new country. Thanks to her support, my English has improved tremendously and I have recently started a new job at LLBean.”  She also passed her drivers’ test and took a medical assistant class, exploring her options.

For her part, Suzanne is grateful to Mai for “opening up my world. I looked forward to our sessions and left feeling uplifted.” As they progressed from simple children’s books to complex conversations about history and culture, Suzanne was amazed at how much they laughed and how easily they related to one another.

Suzanne concludes, “Much as I have the satisfaction of knowing I contributed, it was Mai who took initiative and utilized the programs available in this area, especially Midcoast Literacy.” This is a story of a wonderful partnership.