Volunteer Spotlight: Nina C
Nina has been a much valued, dedicated member of the Conversation Class volunteer team since May 2024, donating an amazing 150+ hours so far! Nina facilitates both of the evening online Conversation Classes which involves overseeing the lesson planning, running the online class Zoom environment, managing two separate groups of other eager volunteers, and generally making sure that the class is offering a welcoming and inclusive environment for all! Nina does a great job of all of this and we are so grateful for her thoughtfulness, good humor, integrity, and patience!
1. Where are you originally from? If you’re not from Seattle what brought you here?
I grew up in Seattle but moved away to attend university when I was 18 and only moved back about 2 years ago to be closer to family and lifelong friends. In the meantime I've lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, Vancouver, BC, and Tucson, AZ.
2. Please share something of your life so far and what you would like to do in the future.
I come from a background in education and editing. It was while working as a copy editor for an online editing service that I became interested in how second-language writers get support with academic writing and how their institutions could better support them, which is what prompted me to pursue graduate studies in applied linguistics. I currently work as a researcher for a design consultancy and also continue to moonlight as an editor for select clients. In my spare time, I love to read, cook and bake (and eat), attend game nights with friends, and of course volunteer at Literacy Source!
3. Why did you choose to volunteer at LS?
When I moved back to Seattle after finishing grad school, I missed teaching and wanted to find a way to put some of my classroom experience to practical use. I was drawn to Literacy Source because of its inclusive, asset-oriented approach to ESOL programming. The importance of literacy has been a throughline from my childhood to my career, and I love being able to connect with others around that shared value.
4. What do you like about volunteering at LS?
I love connecting with both the students and the volunteers. It's rewarding to see our students gaining confidence in their communicative abilities, and it's inspiring to see the volunteers pushing themselves to come up with creative lessons and activities. My aim in Evening CC is to foster a welcoming and supportive community that everyone wants to be part of, and I think we're succeeding!
5. Any stories or highlights from volunteering at LS?
So many inspiring moments. Our online class format works especially well for people with caretaking responsibilities, so we've celebrated the births of babies, grandbabies, engagements, marriages, and many family members' graduations. Last summer two students from our class met in person to teach each other new dance styles. Recently during a discussion of English idioms, it was gratifying to hear a student say "Conversation Class is my cup of tea." One of my favorite things is when students share new words or phrases they've learned in our class that weren't part of the lesson but just came up in conversation.
6. What might people not know about you?
I have an MA in Teaching English as a Second Language and a PhD in Second Language Acquisition & Teaching, but I haven't actually taught ESOL before. My area of specialization is second-language writing. This is the first time I've taught a course focused on speaking and listening rather than writing!