by Monica Soto

Click Here to see Monica deliver this speech at the United Way Volunteer Breakfast.

Have you ever felt lost, alone, without hope? Have you ever thought that some divine power put someone in your life to help you?

When I arrived in the U.S., I felt like an intruder. I couldn’t speak or understand. Not just the language…the white, tall, blonde people. When I moved to my first apartment, all the white people in the building waved to me and smiled. I always ran the other way, with the fear that they would speak to me and I would have to answer with one of the few sentences that I had learned in English – “I don’t speak English.” I promised myself that I will learn English no matter what so I can say hello back to the kind people who waved to a stranger in the hallway.

Someone told me about Catherine McAuley Center, a place where you can go and get an English tutor. I said “That sound very expensive.” She answered, “It’s free. The people volunteer their time.” I said to myself, “If it’s free, why not try it?”

As soon as I stepped through the door, they welcomed me as a friend. They interviewed me in my own language and gave me a tutor, as they called them. For me it was more than that. It was a teacher. A light in the tunnel. It was funny how we both got excited when I started mumbling the words that sounded like the ones they were trying to teach me. When I saw their genuine concern about my frustration and we shared with happiness my achievements, I never saw them as the white, tall, blonde people again. They were my friends

I’m profoundly thankful to my tutors. For giving me my voice back so I can share my experiences. For teaching me how to survive in this country. But most important of all, for giving me hope when I felt lost. For giving me the hand that I needed to stand up every time that I fell.

If you never considered being a tutor because you feel you’re not a teacher, let me tell you that you can make a difference in someone’s life. You can be that friend that we desperately need. You can be that hand that they’re trying to reach, but no one grabs. You can be the inspiration that they’re looking for to overcome the fear of saying hello to a stranger. You can make them feel at home and not an intruder. To them. To my tutors who share their time, their knowledge, and their experience. To my friends, my respect, my appreciation. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!