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From the Desk of….. Ritti Singh

July 13, 2020 by Literacy Rochester

I have been working at Literacy Rochester since October as the Assessment Coordinator. I’m brand new to the world of adult education – I just graduated with my B.A. in Sociology at SUNY Geneseo in December. Before I attended Geneseo, I was an AmeriCorps VISTA at Foodlink.

My role is focused on making sure that all students have up to date and accurate tests. It was a a steep learning curve – New York State has pretty specific rules and requirements, and I feel sometimes as if I’m still learning all the acronyms. I think I’ve gotten the hang of it though! Since the pandemic began, I’ve also been helping out my supervisor Jen Eaton and co-worker Xeno Carpenter-New with supporting our tutors who are doing distance learning.

I’ve really enjoyed getting to know our students, who come from so many different backgrounds and are always excited to share their experiences. I’m really impressed, too, by their dedication to learning – being an adult learner is not easy, and yet our students display so much commitment and persistence.

The Coronavirus pandemic had an unexpected benefit for my work; previously, I mainly provided evening coverage at the office, so I didn’t get to spend that much time with the rest of our staff. Now, I participate in weekly check-ins with everyone, and I have really enjoyed getting to know everybody. I’m especially amazed by our staff’s creativity in coming up with new ways to continue our work even in these changed circumstances.

When I’m not working, I really love reading, especially essay collections and novels. Over the last year, I’ve dabbled a bit in writing too! I also took up bread baking last summer, and that’s a hobby that has been really getting me through these past few months.