As Jayden read aloud to me, his index finger trailed across the page, instilling some kind of magic into each word. When I glanced around at the miniature bodies and felt the energy that could only be radiated by fifth graders at 3:30 in the afternoon, I was happy to be at the Homework Helper tutoring program. I first discovered the program as an opportunity to become involved in the community in a new way. Two dozen struggling children at the elementary school gathered for an hour after school each day to get help from one overwhelmed teacher, Mrs. Rhodes. Needless to say, some days became scenes right out of a comedy movie, as the children would rather pass their chapter books like Frisbees rather than read them. But I have always valued the children’s vibrancy, and I sought to turn it into an enthusiasm for learning. When I became a tutor, I realized the program was sadly understaffed, with only the occasional high school volunteer seeking to complete mandatory community service hours. I began recruiting my friends for help, and when I ran out of willing friends, I brought the program to the attention of my high school’s Key Club. As vice-president, I explained the program in front of club members as well as on the morning announcements. I organized a sign-up at each meeting so that members could take turns tutoring. But because Key Club has many other service projects, the club advisor felt it was only appropriate to make Wednesday the Homework Helper day, instead of allowing members to sign up for all days of the week. At first, I was disappointed because I envisioned tutors at the elementary school every day, but I eventually agreed that other service projects were also important to the club. These days, two teenage volunteers work with the young pupils each Wednesday, and for the other days, I am there. Kyle Elementary School recently started a similar program. Ultimately, my goal is or all the elementary schools in Troy to have a tutoring program. I hope to accomplish this by contacting the other elementary schools and by recruiting more high school volunteers by bringing Homework Helper to the attention of the other clubs I participate in, such as National Honor Society and Student Government. I am regularly befuddled by the fact that five different kids can have five different issues with the same math problem. For one child, only sports analogies bring the numbers to life, whereas another understands best when cartoon illustrations animate the equations. But I know when a child finally understands something when he asks questions based off of his newfound knowledge. I hope that, by receiving one-on-one attention from teenagers closer to their age, these students who once thought of themselves as stragglers now think differently about their potential to learn. At day’s end, the students stuffed their papers into their bags, as if filling cornucopias. I stayed a little longer so Jayden could finish the chapter he was reading. He announced to me that he planned to finish it tomorrow, and although he had only managed to navigate the first fifteen pages that day, it wasn’t hard to take full faith in his confident words. And when the last of the whirlwind of children had left, Mrs. Rhodes and I stared at the convivial mess of uncapped glue-sticks and shreds of construction paper, and we fell apart in laughter, each sharing the same feeling. Spending time with these children was worth every ounce of the effort. And when my high school peers tell me how much they enjoy working with the kids, and I see the young individuals finally understanding their schoolwork, I am most certain that joy can be multiplied by people who are willing to share it.