Meet Victor Thomas. Victor is one of the 70+ volunteers who has donated their time and hard work to Getting Patrick Henry Connected. Since the initiative began in August 2020, volunteers have logged over 775 hours to strengthen family-school engagement and ensure that all Patrick Henry students can thrive during remote learning.
Victor grew up in three places: Thailand, outside of Boston, and New Jersey. Attending Washington University brought him to St. Louis (lucky for us!). Upon graduation he joined Teach for America and taught high school for two years. After TFA, he joined the admissions team at Wash U where, as an Associate Director, he supports the college pipeline. To work with younger kids and have even greater impact, he became a Buddy with HOME WORKS!.
Victor is a fabulous Buddy to fifth-grader De’Shon L. They read graphic novels together twice a week and De’Shon loves connecting with Victor. Victor says that De’Shon is a great reader, and looks forward to taking him to the zoo, the aquarium, and the art museum together.
What does De’Shon say about Victor? “He’s cool. It’s great working with him. He helps me pronounce words correctly and find the correct definitions.”
What does De’Shon’s mother say about Victor? “He’s awesome. He always contacts me when he wants to talk to De’Shon and even came by the other day to give De’Shon some books. He’s great.”
What does Victor say to others interested in being a Buddy? “Absolutely! Go for it. If you want to see impact, the few hours spent per week are the perfect opportunity to make a difference.” Victor says that being a Buddy brings out the best in him.