Pam Korza was born and raised in Northampton, MA and has never taken for granted its rich history, cultural and educational vitality, social consciousness, and countless farms (one of which was her grandfather’s!). After graduating from UMass Amherst with an art history degree, Pam worked and traveled regionally, nationally, and internationally to advance the power of arts and culture in making community, civic, and social change.
It’s no surprise, then, that she found her way to English language tutoring early in life – a way to connect cultures and build understanding – and came back to it when she retired and had more time to give. Pam was gratified by helping her first student, a woman from China, better her English skills but she also gained so much from that opportunity, learning about her student’s life experience, sharing her own, and… enjoying her “epic dumplings!”
When the time came for Pam to seek volunteering prospects after retiring, ILI’s mission appealed, “I was drawn to ILI’s guiding values, strong programmatic foundation, and the warm welcoming spirit of its leadership, teachers, and tutors, from the first time I set foot in its hallway.” Since then, Pam has loved engaging with the school and our English language learners. For instance, she had the pleasure of breaking the Ramadan fast with her current student, Yasemin, and her family while at the same time breaking communication barriers. “The conversation around dinner was so fun and rich and delicious!”
In her other free time, Pam is a self-proclaimed “late-in-life gym rat,” loves walking local trails, and sings “with abandon” in a 150-member local rock choir called Rock Voices.
Pam has taken full advantage of ILI’s free volunteer tutor trainings and recommends all tutors join to get ideas on approaches to teaching and potential cultural issues that might arise. Specifically, Pam suggests to new tutors, “In working with a student, develop lessons that speak to specific needs and interests as much as possible. Sometimes asking outright is a difficult question for the student to answer. Listen for clues as to what will be most helpful, interesting, relevant for the person.” This advice speaks directly to ILI’s student-centered tutoring approach. Successful relationships must have solid communication, even though you might be speaking different languages.