Volunteer Spotlight: Suzanne

Suzanne

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I have a fiancée, two adult children, a son-in-law, two granddaughters, and two cats. I enjoy camping, hiking, and kayaking. I am an Intervention Specialist at Towpath Trail High School.

We want to get to know you! What are some of your favorites? (food, color, season, activity, restaurant, place to shop, etc.)

My favorite color is pink. I collect Fiesta ware and decorate my home with it (yes, that is a thing!). I love sushi and getting it from Sakura. For a fast meal, I love to go to Bibi bop. I enjoy bowling and have been on a league for over 20 years. My favorite place to shop is Sephora.

How did you learn about GiGi’s and what prompted you to become a volunteer?

I learned about GiGi’s from taking my class there to volunteer. The class performed clerical tasks of all kinds. I started tutoring because I needed the experience in order to fulfill requirements in a college course. I enjoyed tutoring so much, I decided to continue.

What is your role at the Playhouse?

Right now, I am tutoring one amazing student. The first session we focused on literacy. The current session is math-based. The future session will be reading again.

What is your favorite experience you have had at the Playhouse?

That is hard to pick. I think that seeing the growth in the student’s skills is my favorite. I also love the large variety of learning materials that I can pick from in the tutoring rooms has helped enhance the tutoring sessions.

Suzanne was previously a Manager of Siffrin Academy, where a group of participants comes bi-weekly to GiGi’s Playhouse Canton to build on their professional and career development skills by volunteering their time for administrative tasks. In Stark County, integrated into the University culture, Siffrin Academy is an education blend of classroom study and field experience designed to help participants reinforce skills and abilities they learned throughout their education career. The group also practices their cooking skills by utilizing the kitchen at GiGi’s Playhouse, working together to create delicious recipes while reading, following directions, and building their social skills – similar to our GiGi’s Kitchen program.

Suzanne’s leadership of the Siffrin Academy group also transitioned her to becoming a math and literacy tutor for GiGi’s Playhouse Canton. Suzanne has been working with Lana since Spring of 2022 in both subjects, helping Lana retain and progress in her classroom skills.

Thank you for engaging in new experiences and growing with us, Suzanne!