Volunteer Spotlight: Maggie Broyles

Meet Maggie, GiGi’s NYC 1:1 Math Tutoring Program Co-Coordinator! Maggie joined the GiGi’s NYC community approximately 1.5 years ago, and we couldn’t be more grateful. She helped pilot our 1:1 Math Tutoring Program, which has grown tremendously since we started offering it to our entire community. GiGi’s NYC thanks Maggie for her hard work and dedication for making our Math Program what it is today –  a HUGE success! To learn more about how amazing Maggie is, check out her blog below:

How and when did you first get involved with GiGi’s NYC? 

I got involved with GiGi’s NYC when I moved to NYC for college and signed up for a volunteer orientation to learn about how I could get further involved. 

Why did you decide to volunteer with GiGi’s NYC? 

My younger brother has Down syndrome, and my family is heavily involved in the GiGi’s community in Minneapolis. For a while now, the GiGi’s community has had such a strong presence in my life, and after my first semester at college in New York, I realized I missed that community, so I reached out to GiGi’s NYC. 

What do you do as a volunteer? 

I am one of the coordinators of the GiGi’s NYC Math 1:1 Tutoring Program, so I work on matching tutors and students, scheduling tutoring sessions, holding orientations, and checking in with the tutors and families involved in the program. 

What is your favorite thing about the GiGi’s NYC community? 

My favorite part about the GiGi’s NYC community is the enthusiasm I see participants bring to our programs. I love checking in at the beginning of our math tutoring sessions and seeing the students excited to get started on their sessions. 

What does Down syndrome awareness and acceptance look like to you? 

I consider Down syndrome awareness and acceptance as seeing and supporting individuals with Down syndrome exactly how they are. People with Down syndrome can do so much more than what others expect of them, and I think we can best support them in their dreams and ambitions by meeting them where they are at rather than making any assumptions, based on their disability, of who they are or what they can do. Along those same lines, I think another part of Down syndrome awareness and acceptance is recognizing the individuality of every person with Down syndrome and building our relationships around such individuality more so than their disability. 

How do you enjoy spending your free time? 

In my free time, I enjoy reading, participating in or watching musical theatre, spending time with friends, and talking to my brother on FaceTime.