oasis: To promote healthy aging through lifelong learning, award winner active lifestyles and volunteer engagement
meet volunteer mary ann koetting of chesterfield
How long have you been a volunteer?
I am in my 16th year tutoring students through Oasis. I started volunteering in 1999, but had to take a couple of years off. When I made it to five years, I couldn’t wait to get to 10. And then when I made it to 15, I thought, I’m going to 20!
What made you interested in this particular cause?
When I retired, I knew I wanted to start volunteering. My aunt introduced me to Oasis; I went on a walking tour with her, and it went from there. There are catalogs that describe all the classes and programs it offers. They bring in professors from local universities and various professionals as instructors. I’ve learned about different regions of the world, the federal government, the Middle East, art … a ton of things I wasn’t interested in during college. Marylen Mann is just so special; she founded the organization in 1982, and now it’s across the nation. She wanted to keep older adults active, interested and up-to-date on current events. You can get out your old musical instrument and join the band, join a hiking or biking club, take tours, get help with your computer and much more.
What kind of volunteer work are you involved with?
In the back of the catalog is a list of volunteer opportunities, and intergenerational tutoring caught my eye. Oasis pairs seniors with kindergarten through third-grade students in area school districts. I had no teaching background, but Oasis provides training. I started with one student my first year and have had two students every year since. I’m in the Rockwood School District. We’re there to get kids interested in reading. I always bring a book, and I’ll read or both of us will, and then we talk about it—the author, the moral of the story, what might happen next. We do various activities related to reading and language, and I like bringing in visuals that tie into the story. Like for Corduroy, I bring in a swatch of fabric and buttons. These discussions and the one-on-one time really help build their self-esteem, so the students will speak up more in the classroom or volunteer more information than they would before. And the kids teach me a lot, too! They introduce me to new gadgets, movies, jokes; I just really enjoy the atmosphere, the teachers and the amazing student artwork that lines the hallways. I recently saw a girl I tutored who just graduated from fifth grade and was so excited to tell me about middle school. She had really blossomed, and I feel like I had a little part in that. It’s much more than just reading. At the end of the school year, I’ll send them home with a list of activities to do over the summer.
If you could do anything for the organization, what would it be?
I would want to help spread the word! Oasis is just the best. I am always talking about it to my friends, other volunteer groups, and anyone who will listen.
in the words of oasis: “Mary Ann is always pleasant and positive, a person the other Rockwood tutors want to talk with and share ideas. She encourages the other volunteers. She recognizes that success means something different for every student, recognizes small successes and builds on those in her tutoring sessions all year. Like so many Oasis tutors, Mary Ann goes above and beyond the required commitment by seeking ways to capture the students’ interests through books and activities so they are learning and having fun at the same time.”
Photo: Colin Miller of Strauss Peyton Photography