Joshua Li, better known as Josh around Circles, has been volunteering at Circles for only a short amount of time with the children’s program, but he is already fitting in well with both students and teachers alike. He comes to the Circles children’s program after searching for ways to get more involved with the community and children specifically. It seems clear that his friend Tiffany has also played a large part in getting him involved with the program, as she originally found the opportunity and told Josh he should consider joining her.
Josh is a student at the University of Michigan who is also working part-time through the university and volunteering at a few other places. He’s a busy guy but has prioritized working with the program because he feels it’s really cohesive, both with the children and the parents who serve as Leaders in the adult Circles program. He also really likes that the curriculum provides guidance for teachers but also allows enough room for them to be creative and meet the students where they’re at.
Since Josh is still new to the program, he is still learning the ropes. So far though, he really enjoyed the emotions section of the program and is excited to get to the financial literacy section. Josh really enjoys that the children’s program is set up to parallel some of the things their parents are learning in the adult Circles program, and he feels the program as a whole is really important and effective in its goal to help lift people out of poverty.
Josh’s desire to learn and be authentically himself makes him a perfect match for the Circles teacher role that he’s in. Currently, he works in the elementary age classroom where his desire to learn and grow will be so beneficial to the students in that age-range. In case you didn’t know, elementary school-aged kids are often very high-energy, so finding healthy outlets for them to express and expel that energy is key. That’s where Josh comes in. His advice to the younger generation is to always have something you’re passionate about, no matter what other people think. Josh’s passion is map-making. If you’re curious, you should ask him more about it; who knows, maybe you’ll start creating your own maps after hearing how passionate he is!
Josh—thank you for all of your hard work so far! Without volunteers like you, the Circles children’s program would not be so beneficial and successful. We look forward to seeing what your continued support and care will provide to the many families involved in the Circles program.