Volunteering with Reading Partners NYC

I've always loved reading—it’s been my thing since I was a kid. Weekends meant trips to the public library, where I’d load up the car trunk with as many books as I could carry. The best part? I’d actually finish all of them by mid-week, no matter how many I grabbed. It felt like magic, diving into so many stories and worlds.

But as I got older, life got busy. The days of devouring piles of books in a few days turned into reading the same amount over months. It was hard at first, but it made me appreciate taking my time with each book, really soaking up the details. That change made me realize just how much reading shaped me—and how I wanted to share that joy with others.

Tutoring students in reading and comprehension was a natural next step for me. I loved helping them not just learn the basics of reading, but also connect with the material, find meaning, and enjoy the process. Watching their confidence grow over time was so rewarding.

Now, I’m channeling that love for reading into my research on improving education with virtual reality. It’s been exciting to think about how VR can make learning more engaging—imagine stepping inside a story or exploring concepts in a way that feels real and interactive. It’s like combining my passion for books and the latest tech to make education better.