The year was 2004 and like many other people, Ruth Andrews was on the job hunt. She had a wealth of experience under her belt but was looking for work that she would enjoy and find fulfilling.
During a conversation with a friend, she learned about Jumpstart– and it was a discovery that changed her life. Ruth immediately applied to join Boston’s Community Corps program and has been serving children in low-income areas throughout the Roxbury community of Boston ever since. Concerned with eliminating illiteracy, Ruth is committed to Jumpstart’s mission to help the preschool children she works with develop the language and literacy skills they need to be ready for kindergarten. With past experience working with a literacy group, Ruth came to Jumpstart knowing the importance of the fundamentals of reading early on.
“We’re getting to them before they can reach that point, before they fall behind,” said Ruth. She tells the story of one of her partner children, Gloria, who consistently had trouble spelling her name. Ruth spent time explaining the difference between various letters, including upper- and lower-case. Under Ruth’s guidance, Gloria learned to segment her name into two parts, allowing her to master her first name before moving on to her last–with some fun tricks and tests in between.
Concerned with eliminating illiteracy, Ruth is committed to Jumpstart’s mission to help the preschool children she works with develop the language and literacy skills they need to be ready for kindergarten.
Throughout her life, Ruth has known people who’ve battled illiteracy into adulthood. Because of her work, this is a battle other children will not have to fight. She comes back to Jumpstart each program year ready for a new adventure with new children and considers herself one of the lucky few to have landed a “dream job.”
