Throughout the past couple of months, I've had the opportunity to volunteer within Arlington Public Schools volunteer tutors program, an initiative dedicated to providing academic support to students in grades K-12. This experience has been profoundly enriching, allowing me to gain insights in the power of mentorship and gain a deeper understanding of educational equity. As a tutor, my involvement began with a desire to contribute back to my community and surrounding communities while gaining practical experience in education. Although education is not my major, I have always had a deep appreciation for tutoring programs due to the fact there were no options for myself growing up. Stepping into this role allowed me to be the role model I wish I had and that support system for kids who came from similar backgrounds such as myself. I was drawn to the tutoring program’s mission of ensuring equitable access to academic support for all students, regardless of economic backgrounds. I’ve volunteered within Montgomery County and have gotten a feel for what tutoring is all about, and I’ve had a past internship working in the office of Arlington Public County schools, and I contacted current employees for ways I could get in touch with the tutoring program. My site supervisor was someone that I had worked alongside in the office during past volunteer and internship there so I was very grateful when she agreed to be my mentor for this Practicum. Some advice I would give future SGC scholars on identifying a practicum site would be make sure that it is something you are interested in. I would definitely say explore your options and if you don’t feel that an internship isn’t right for you, that there is other options for your Practicum. If you are looking specifically for a site, then I would say first identify what practicum you are interested in or a general field of study. Next, starting thinking about what is readily available on campus or close to campus, or wherever you live, that is offering shadowing opportunities/internships. Advice on contacting a supervisor, I would say be professional when emailing or calling a potential supervisor and to be genuine in your intent and that will showcase you as a great addition to whatever project. At my site, I was assigned various tasks aimed at providing academic support and mentorship to students. One of my primary responsibilities was to assist students across different subjects, offering guidance and encouragement to enhance their understanding and confidence. I also provided feedback on students' writing assignments, focusing on content clarity, organization, and grammar, specifically with the students’ whose first language wasn’t English. Designing engaging activities to reinforce specific subjects, such as vocabulary or math, was another aspect of my role and making sure that I was gaining the attention of the students’ I was working with. Within the volunteer program, I gained a lot of sights into the science of learning. While the program was focused on addressing the educational needs instead of physical sciences, I came to understand the connections between science and society. I could see the impact of mentorship and support on students’ academic success and it only reinforced my appreciation for tutors and education. Beyond its scientific aspects, my practicum experience has deeply impacted me on a personal level. It has definitely instilled in me a profound appreciation for tutors and teachers who are putting in the effort for their students. While my primary academic focus may not be in education or social sciences, I am now more inclined to incorporate principles of equity and inclusion into my future endeavors more than ever, seeing the disparities firsthand. This practicum experience has just motivated me to commit to more community service, outside or within education, inspiring me to explore more opportunities aimed a promoting educational equity. This practicum has touched my heart because growing up with English as my second language, I felt like there was a whole community of us that wasn’t being seen beyond our barriers and I wished I had a mentor/tutor such when in school. This practicum has been so rewarding and almost healing.