Meet the Learning Buddies: Nicole and Alefiya

It takes a large team of dedicated, talented volunteers to make the Learning Buddies Network a success. In this series of posts, we’ll introduce you to some of those people! Today, our featured volunteers are Nicole Strutt and Alefiya Cuttleriwala. Nicole recently completed her degree in Communications at SFU and is now pursuing a career as a teacher.  Alefiya is a university student, in her second year at UBC. 

Nicole and Alefiya’s stories are great examples of the many reasons mentors choose to volunteer with LBN. Alefiya always loved reading and found that it was an escape and a way to “explore the world...in a safe space”. Nicole started volunteering because she remembers struggling with reading at a young age. Then she met a mentor who helped her gain a love of words. Remembering this, Nicole wanted to help other young children and give back to the community. Both agree that volunteering with kids and connecting with them is an incredibly rewarding experience. 

Alefiya’s love of working with children shines through in her volunteering. “Being a mentor is not only about helping buddies with their literacy skills but also being a friend and helping them explore their interests safely,” she comments. She has helped her mentees gain a love of reading through the program. Similarly, Nicole has found her time volunteering very rewarding. She notes, “I’ve enjoyed connecting with my buddy and inspiring a love of reading through choosing books that match my buddy's interest, like books with superheroes or famous painters like Vincent Van Gogh”. 

Apart from Learning Buddies, Nicole enjoys being outdoors, playing soccer, and (naturally) reading. She’s looking forward to going on more hikes throughout the summer!  Alefiya spends her time reading, baking, and experimenting with different forms of art. She is looking forward to returning to Vancouver over the summer (authors note: so cool that Alefiya mentored from afar!).

To close off our feature, both Nicole and Alefiya would like to leave some advice and meaningful quotes:

Alefiya:

“May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful,  and don't forget to make some art - write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself." - Neil Gaiman. 

Alefiya also recommends the Instagram page @chicksforclimate for those who like to keep informed on climate activism and feminism! Thank you Nicole and Alefiya for your time and words of wisdom!

Nicole: 

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it” – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

It’s important to stop and enjoy the little things in our day: enjoying the first sip of coffee in the morning or sharing a good laugh with a friend via Zoom. It’s easy to get caught up in everyday life and so important to appreciate what we have, no matter how big or small.

Alefiya Cuttleriwala

Nicole Strutt