Meeting No.4

This week Dolores was in her comfort zone from the beginning. We went to work as soon as we sat down. Her vocabulary and pronounication is improving greatly. It seems that when she gets over her hesitation and nervousness, she excells greatly. I keep encouraging her and telling her that the practice is paying off and she acknowledges with a smile and she tells me she is noticing as well. I'm starting to feel like even though no one is seeing this, I am making a difference in someone's life and helping a fellow American. I'm going to see if we do some more active stuff than sitting with a pencil and vocabulary in the future. So far, so good.

Meeting Again.

I met with Dolores again on Friday. This time we really got the ball rolling and we made a lot of progress. We met by the rickel again and she was there waiting for me. We then proceeded to the lounge where we began to dive into vocabulary. We focused on terms that she needed for her job and everyday use. I would write down each term or phrase and she would repeat it and try to memorize them. This time, she seemed much more comfortable and open to me. We are becoming friends which is important in order for her to learn the most she can. We are going to stay focused on on basic work terms next week as well. I'm already seeing progress. By the end of this, she will be in much better shape. I'm glad I am helping.

Meeting Dolores

I met with Dolores near the Rickel on Friday. She was waiting by the door when I got there in normal clothes. At first I wasn't really sure what we would talk about, but the conversation went well. We introduced ourselves and shared a little background information. She seemed happy that I was going to help her with whatever she needed. Her primary goal is to learn and speak English more efficiently. After telling her about being from Los Angeles, being an English major, and what I am involved in on campus, she was happy to share as well. She has a son who is 19 and is also a sophomore here, she's been working at Texas Christian for 3 weeks. After our talk, we decided we would get to work the following week. I think the next 11 weeks are going to be full of work and progress.

My Street, Honors English Sophomore Composition

I grew up on an ordinary street in sunny Southern California. 112th Street was beautiful all around. It was the definition of the American Dream. Everyone had their house, their lawn, their spouse, their cars and a dog. The palm trees would sway in the wind and provide shade during summertime. Located by the Great Western Forum, traffic would be a constant part of life during the NBA season. The Los Angeles Lakers played in the Forum from 1967 to 1999. It was the city of Champions after all and life was great. I have memories of playing in the front yard with me father. I used to drive my power wheels Jeep and used to challenge my Dad to races in his old Range Rover. I always assumed he was scared because he never raced me. Life's good when you're a kid. During Christmastime, nighttime was great. All the neighbors would put up their lights in magnificent displays of holiday spirit. During little league season, tension would build on the street because all the kids on the streets were on different teams. I was a Yankee, and our neighbors were Cardinals, things were a little awkward. My parents are considering moving up north by the beach, but 112th street will always be where I grew up.