When Dave Jones and his wife, Linda moved to Greenville, his daughter suggested he might enjoy getting involved with MARC. Dave majored in Spanish in college, and his language background proved to be very useful in teaching English as a second language with MARC. Over the years, Dave has worked with many learners, tutoring both one-on-one and in small groups. “It has been my privilege to work with students through MARC. I really enjoy seeing the ‘light come on’ when they are successful.”
Dave has also helped many MARC learners obtain U.S. citizenship. He recalls working with a learner who was have a difficult time with the written portion of the citizenship exam. Eventually he passed, and to celebrate, they went out to dinner! “It’s rewarding to see someone successfully complete their citizenship exams. I was amazed I was able to have that kind of impact on someone,” Dave shared. In 2020, he was working with a learner preparing for citizenship. While the pandemic brought their sessions to a halt, the learner stayed in touch with MARC and was able to pass the test. “Dave helped me a lot. This opens more doors and more chances for me and I am really thankful for him.” (Anonymous)
Dave was awarded “Volunteer of the Year” in 2014 and has continued to dedicate hours of his time to tutoring. In addition to working with learners, Dave has written a curriculum to use in language tutoring sessions. It’s the joy of working with people that keeps him tutoring with MARC. “I always look forward to meeting the next student, and I recommend getting involved with MARC, even if you don’t speak another language.”
