Rishan Chakraborty, 8th Grade
I joined Balavihar in 2017. I took part in both the Balavihar and Hindi classes that were offered. Going to Chinmaya was a big part of my religious life, and I have greatly enjoyed the experience of learning about my religion and culture. In 2021, I signed up to be a tutor with Chinmaya Mission’s English Language Learning (ELL) program. As a tutor, I have taught kids from the Immigrant and Refugee Community of Oregon (IRCO). I teach kids whose parents are not native English speakers, and struggle with oral and written English communication.
Being a tutor has been a great opportunity for me. I was able to serve my community through the ELL program and support those who have not had the same privileges as many of us. Tutoring has also helped me grow as a person by helping me grow my communication and leadership skills. My students are doing very well in school, and I am proud to be a part of their academic success.
During the summers of 2022 and 2023, I was also able to run a science camp thanks to Chinmaya Mission. They gave me a room and some materials that I could use to teach my students. The kids that attended had a lot of fun and were able to participate in activities such as looking at cells under a microscope and making atoms out of play dough. I am glad I was able to run these camps to educate children about different science topics.
Balavihar has been a very prominent religious factor in my life and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to do so many wonderful things with the help of Chinmaya Mission. I am proud to be an ELL Tutor and a Balavihar student, and consider myself lucky to have the chance to learn about my religion. I would encourage others to sign up for ELL Tutoring as well, since I believe it helped me to become a better leader, communicator, and overall person.
