A Valuable Volunteer

Volunteer Christina Strong works with students at Kawana Elementary.

Kawana Elementary has been honored with an exceptionally devout volunteer in Christina Strong. Aspiring to become a teacher one day, Christina brings a steadfast approach to the CalSERVES after-school program. Her experience continues to be an important stepping-stone in moving forward towards her career of teaching. “I am majoring in Liberal Studies to become a K – 12 teacher and this program offers me everything I need as I am searching for teaching and classroom leadership experience.”


Kawana team members have recognized her hard work. Classroom Leader, Emily Walski, praised Christina’s commitment, “she’s very self-motivated; she comes in to help, figures out where she can lend a hand, and starts working.” This kind of relentless work ethic and passion for teaching makes Christina such a unique and valuable member of the after-school team. Cody Cibart, the volunteer coordinator, added further appreciation, “Christina is great; not only do the mentors and children enjoy her, but she also brings value to our program through her willingness to make a difference.”

Since beginning as a volunteer in early October, Christina has made remarkable progress. In fact, she did such an amazing job as a volunteer that CALSERVES recently decided to hire her as a substitute classroom leader. She is confident going into the future, mentioning that this new position will provide good practice for her career goals.

Volunteers like Christina contribute to the improvement of our community with an unselfish zeal. Her dedication, patience, and desire to improve students’ learning capabilities are the perfect mix of support that the CalSERVES after-program is thrilled to have.

by Cody Cibart and Alex Rowan, AmeriCorps VIP Leaders