My name is Rajiv Eluthesen and I am a sophomore at UC  Berkeley majoring in Business Administration.  I am a volunteer tutor at Berkeley High School for a class of U.S. History juniors in the Community Partnerships Academy.  Every Friday, the juniors go to Washington Elementary School to read to several kindergarten classes there.  The Buddy Reading Program sets up kindergarteners with these caring high school mentors and allows the high school students to develop strong leadership and communication skills.

The high school juniors are encouraged to use the same techniques that elementary school teachers use to read with children such as asking their buddy questions, making predictions, and picture walking.  Over the course of just a semester, I have watched both the elementary and high school children grow, take on more responsibility, and improve their academic learning.

The Buddy Reading Program is extremely rewarding for me because, as a mentor for the juniors, I am able to see them mentoring their elementary school buddies.  It makes me proud to know the Buddy Reading Program is the first step towards a lifetime of learning and helping others.