Five days a week, for the last three years, Dominique Torres has made a world of difference for teacher Lorynda Sampson and her 5th grade students at Mead Elementary School in Mead. Dominique is a 7th grader at the middle school next door. Once she wraps up her school day, Dominique walks over to the elementary school and helps in Lorynda’s classroom. “She’ll do anything from cleaning desks for kids who struggle with organization, to running materials, to checking out library books,” Lorynda says.
"I’m like her three extra hands,” laughs Dominique.
But, Lorynda notes, the most important way Dominique makes an impact is the one-on-one time she gives to the students. "The kids who wouldn’t normally excel get a chance to learn in a way that best accommodates their learning style because I have Dominique here to help,” Lorynda explains.
It’s Dominique’s special way of relating to the students that makes her effective. “She’s not like ‘you’re a little kid, I’m bigger than you.’ She’s like, ‘you matter,’” says student, Finnian Bunta.
After the 5th graders go home for the day, Dominique stays and helps Lorynda get the classroom ready for the next day or with long-term lesson plans. “It’s kind of like having a peer, but it’s a kid peer, so I really get the kid perspective,” Lorynda says.
Dominique isn’t one to boast about what she does. In fact, it’s not easy getting her to explain her motivation behind volunteering. “I just like being here,” she says matter-of-factly.
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