Shelly and Julio: Be the Change You Want to See

Shelly Dragul, a former elementary school teacher, is now a level two literacy tutor at GiGi’s Playhouse Denver.  Shelly dedicates time, energy, and a whole lotta love to parents, family members, and individuals with Down syndrome. One year ago, Shelly saw a news story about the Denver Playhouse opening and immediately reached and started volunteering.

Shelley said that she volunteers because, “It fills my bucket. It just makes me so happy and content, it is the most rewarding thing I do.”   

Starting out, Shelly was paired with a young man named Julio, whom we initially thought was non-verbal and also a Spanish-speaker.  She was a little nervous that the language barrier could impact how successful she and Julio would be during their literacy tutoring.  They connected from their very first meeting and developed a bond that we have been fortunate to see their amazing relationship firsthand. Julio is an incredible artist and quite good at writing and reading! Shelly took Julio’s strength and passion for drawing and together they began to create books at each of his sessions. Julio was also an incredible teacher at one of his sessions where he was able to proudly read two of his masterpieces to a younger Playhouse participant, Izzy.   

Shelly had told us several times that she looks forward to her weekly sessions with Julio as he just brings her so much joy and happiness. In fact, Shelly’s entire family knows all about Julio and they just love hearing about his progress every week.  Shelly told us that she learns so much from the students, “They have taught me that I can teach any age, not just elementary and that I just love to teach.” 

Her impact was demonstrated when Julio confidently read one of his books aloud to an audience of seven guests at the Playhouse.  This “Best of All Moment” brought the main objective of each Playhouse to life: create an environment that fosters learning and development.  It was so evident in Julio’s confidence and sense of accomplishment.  Thanks to Shelley’s gift of time and dedication, she’s helped Julio to grow into an amazing author, illustrator, and reader!   

We thrive on support from our local volunteers and donors to make “Best of All Moments” like Shelley and Julio’s.  This giving season, please consider donating to our Colorado Gives campaign or volunteering with the Denver Playhouse.   To learn more about our volunteer program and how you can make a difference, click here. 

GiGis Playhouse Denver LLC | Colorado Gives 365