Alumni Feature: Alison Lee Interview

Our Executive Director, Owen, has been conducting interviews with former Learning Buddies Network (LBN) participants to gain insights into their experiences with the program. The input and time provided by these individuals has been extremely valuable to our organization's development. Moving forward, their feedback and guidance will be instrumental as we strive to expand our reach. Today, Alison Lee is our featured interviewee. Alison is one of the co-founders of LBN, alongside Dr. Lipson, and she now works in a pediatric emergency position at the BC Children's Hospital. She has found that the soft skills she acquired through LBN have been extremely beneficial to her career.

We would like to express our appreciation to Alison for taking the time to participate in this interview. We are thankful for all of the effort she has put into LBN and are proud of how the program has grown since its inception.

Owen: Hi! Can I start by just getting you to give a quick introduction of yourself, and what your involvement with LBN looked like in the past? 

Alison: Yeah, sure. Hi everyone! My name is Alison, and I was previously one of the co-founders with Dr. Lipson a long time ago. I don't remember the exact year, but essentially, how I got involved with Dr. Lipson was seeing lots of kids in her practice who were sort of falling behind. Initially, it started as reading. The thought was [that] there are lots of good high school students who would be fantastic tutors; and kids generally learn well from their peers, as opposed to a teacher or mentor. [...] When you have the younger generation teach their peer group, it's an easier connection. So, we created the Learning Buddies Network, initially called Reading Buddies, and I helped put the first programs together. 

Eventually, as the programs grew, we needed to recruit new people, and expand [the team]. Then, a couple of years down the line, we had the reading component and the math component. I've been involved as a volunteer; I first started by actually having my own buddies—I think I had two or three buddies over the course of the first year of our first program at David Lloyd George Elementary. And then from there, I moved into a Coordinator position and then eventually opened up new programs. There was one at Joyce Collingwood and Richmond. And then we started to just grow and grow and grow. It's been nice to see how successful and [impactful] this program has been for the younger generation and our little learners.

Owen: Yeah, I completely agree with that! I didn't know your ideology was one of the founders of the organization. Oh my goodness, that's amazing to be here with you! Thank you for coming in for this interview with me and [sharing the story].

Alison: Yeah, thanks for having me. It was all pretty much inspired by what Dr. Lipson saw as a need. And at that time, I've always really enjoyed working with kids, and so it was a good fit for us. We found an area that wasn't well tackled in the school system, and we thought we could evoke some changes. And here we are! 

Owen: I completely agree! I was just in a meeting with one of my colleagues. [We just discussed that], other outside-of-school teaching systems work are completely different from what LBN offers to kids. Every other program is very academically rigorous. [...] It's intense, and it takes the fun out of learning. But here, at the Learning Buddies Network, there is a direct impact that the mentors have on the kids with that one-to-one component; and there's so much fun that comes from learning that I don't think other organizations can offer. [...] It's so amazing to hear about how you started the whole process and started the whole program.

Could you tell me a little more about  what exactly you were going into, and how [it looked]? How did it feel? What were the difficulties that you faced?

Alison: Yeah, initially when you start a program, it’s very grassroots. You're on the ground testing out the material; you're seeing what it's like to be a volunteer, and see what strategies work from a teaching standpoint. And I agree [that] the kids [will] have fun, and I think the best part of it is that there's no pressure—there are no milestones that they have to reach. You just want to take them from A to B, where B is a better place than A. And however you get there, there's a lot of material that Learning Buddies has accumulated [throughout] its lifetime. So it's great that kids are learning and having fun. It's not a chore, it's not a task—it's just a time to learn while creating a bond with your older buddy.

I think that’s one of the biggest differences that set the Learning Buddies Network apart from other tutoring programs. Initially, [...] because the program was very small, there was only one program. It was me and my high school friends, who lived in the neighborhood and offered to tutor the kids from [David Lloyd George Elementary]. And then, as the program got bigger, my role became one that was sort of less hands-on, like having my [colleagues] coordinate all the tutors and making sure that every tutor felt supported. And after that, when I found other people to help coordinate the different programs, I concentrated on growing the program outside of the Lower Mainland. We had programs in Richmond and Burnaby, and at one point, I think out in the Fraser Valley as well.

Owen: That's incredible. David Lloyd George is still one of our partner sites to this day. That’s fantastic—I think it's now a 13-year journey that we've been on together. [...] It's been such a long time. Do you remember what school it was that was out in the Fraser Valley?

Alison: Oh, I don't. I think it was a school in Surrey because one of the coordinators was interested in getting involved and had good ties there. That was how that program started.

Owen: Okay, amazing! Yeah. In the back of my head, I'm always thinking about how to get us into different schools and trying to get LBN into more distant communities, out from the Lower Mainland. 

Alison: I find it helpful if you have someone local to that area who knows the teachers. Again, it's just easier to establish a relationship when there's already one there. That's how we initially expanded: people came to us and they said, “Hey, I have a school that I went through or have siblings going through” or, “I know this school that we partner with [...] Could we start a program?”

Owen: Oh, that's really helpful. Nice! Thank you! We definitely need to find more people willing to bring them back to their communities. I think maybe even letting folks know that we're able to support that and that we have the capacity to do that, might be the first step. Thank you. Okay, so going into the second half of this interview, could you tell us a little bit about what you're doing now in your career?

Alison: Yeah, sure. So I'm in a pediatric emergency position, and I work primarily at the BC Children's Hospital. All throughout Learning Buddies, I was in a medical school internship and then my pediatric residency. So it was always a nice adjunct to have because [Learning Buddies] is so different—teaching is just very different from the days of medicine, so it was a very nice outlet and something impactful and meaningful that I could have outside of my life as a medical learner.

Owen: Oh, that's so amazing! It's amazing that you're able to take on a coordinating commitment, even while you're in medical school. Could you tell me a bit more about how are you able to find that balance?

Alison: I think when you enjoy it, it’s not really work, right? You find time, as everyone does, to prioritize the things that are important to them. For me, I was very involved with the Learning Buddies Network because I saw the impact that it had on the little buddies. And again, it was fun. It was fun to organize. It was fun to be at those sessions. It was very satisfying to see the growth of my little buddy [and] be able to expand that to other kids, so it wasn't that hard to juggle. There are times when it's busier in medical school and other times when it's busier with Learning Buddies. But if you put it as a priority, and it's important to you, then oftentimes you'll find that you'll be successful in doing whatever you want!

Owen: That's really helpful. I'm so glad that you're passionate about Learning Buddies Network, and that you were able to see the impacts this organization had. That's definitely also why I'm still around. I started as a mentor way back in high school, and then through the whole LBN leadership model of becoming a Program Coordinator and Executive Coordinator. I've stuck around and stepped through those different [positions], and I've learned so much from it, quite honestly. And I've enjoyed every single step on this ladder. Like you said, I've just seen how much impact I can have in my day-to-day work that I do here, and that really is quite fulfilling.

Alison: Yeah, I think your journey sounds [very inspiring]—that you started off more grassroots, having your own buddy, and then taking on a leadership position and overseeing programs. [...] I admire what you do. It's lots of work, but it is very fulfilling. And so I'm glad that you've also found joy in this.

Owen: Yeah, it's simple. Thanks, Alison. Could I ask you another question about how you think Learning Buddies Network has helped prepare you for your current career as a pediatrician?

Alison: Yeah. I think [...] it's similar in that you’re working and communicating with kids, and trying to get to [their] level so that you can connect with them. I think that that's very important when [...] in the field of pediatrics—just as it's important as a mentor that you can actually connect and bond with your kids, so that they can trust you and be comfortable around you. I think the sort of organizational aspects of being in the different roles that I've had within Learning Buddies Network translates to whatever career you have, whether it's medicine, accounting, being a lawyer, or being a tradesman. There's work ethic, hard work, organization, coordination—those things are all sorts of skills that are applicable in any sort of professional or non-professional career. LBN is helpful in terms of developing good leadership and skills. And I think that's very widely translatable. No matter what you end up doing or what your passion is!

Owen: I agree completely! I think you've made it work really well as a pediatrician. Coming from a non-profit that works directly with kids, hearing that [these skills are] transferable in your practice—that’s amazing! The [skills] that you learn from the Learning Buddies Network—the fact that it can be applied to any profession and any job—is what makes Learning Buddies special. 

Starting as a Mentor, I knew nothing about leadership. [...] But having gone through these different roles in the organization has taught me so many skills in organizational structure and in leadership that I can now bring to any workspace that I want in the future. Yeah, amazing! Thanks, Alison! 

The last question I have for you is, just what advice would you like to share with the current Learning Buddies Network volunteers?

Alison: First of all, I'd like to thank everyone because it is your time that you're giving to helping Learning Buddies be successful. It is your time that you put into creating that bond and helping your little buddy learn. So, thank you. The program would not be able to function without volunteers. In terms of advice, while you're being a tutor, just have fun—enjoy it. It's not a very long relationship that you get with your [...] little buddy. So try to make the most of the experience and of your time. Whatever you put in, you'll get the rewards. Thank you very much for your volunteering. And I hope you really enjoy your role as a Learning Buddies Network volunteer. The best way to sort of get more experience is to be more involved. 

Again, similar to what you did Owen, start as a volunteer, and then if you're interested and you see the value, then don't be afraid to pursue a bigger leadership role within the program, because you will get lots of support and mentorship from the organization to do so. We want to make sure that our older buddies are also becoming empowered and picking up skills, and that it's a positive learning experience, just like it is for the little buddies.

Owen: I love that answer! And I can now see where that all came from. That's something I've come to admire about where the Learning Buddies Network is. Being in these different steps, I've had different people mentor me as I've gone through the different steps, [...] even as a staff member. Now I have the whole Board of Directors who are constantly available for me to talk to. And you give me such faithful advice on just about everything that I do. It's been such a remarkable experience.

Also, as the Program Coordinator, you have your Executive Coordinator. As the Executive Coordinator, you get mentorship from start to finish within this organization. It’s amazing!

Alison: Yeah. And I think one thing that sets Learning Buddies apart, is the people who are in it. Dr. Lipson and the Board of Drectors—they really see the value of the program. And, they're doing this because they love it. They're always supportive and more than happy to help or problem-shoot to get you to achieve whatever goal it is you want within the Learning Buddies Network.

Owen: Completely agreed. They are. I've seen this with so many people, but the people in Learning Buddies Network are the nicest people on this planet—quite honestly, the nicest people I've ever met. It's amazing. Then I get to work with them. It's so cool. 

Alison: Yeah, it's a fantastic group of people.

Owen: Yeah. Thanks, Alison!