Rounding the Bases
Lizzy Vogel, senior"As a baseball coach and literacy teacher for 9-to-10-year-olds with the Harlem RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) REALKids program, I started each day of my internship with my head teacher. We prepared for reading lessons and teamwork workshops and I shared with her the strategy for my team, the Senadores. Working with the Senadores and fellow teachers and coaches was one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had.
"Harlem RBI started 15 years ago, when volunteers transformed an abandoned lot into two little league baseball fields. It now offers free summer programs and yearlong tutoring, college preparation, and baseball and softball leagues for boys and girls, ages 7-18, from East Harlem
As a political science and education special major, I wanted to work for an educational organization in New York. The Lang Center gave me a Summer of Social Action Award, and the Career Services staff helped me apply for the position. Although there were times when I second-guessed myself - like when we lost one of our games by one run, and our star pitcher asked me if he was allowed to switch teams -I'm now even more committed to being an educator who would bring RBI's values of teamwork, effort, and respect to the classroom."
