This year, we have 16, that's right, SIXTEEN, volunteers graduating from the Teen Volunteer Program. Combined, these volunteers have given over 1,400 hours of their time to Cromaine Library, our staff, and our patrons. They have been instrumental in planning and running Harry Potter Camp and Star Wars Camp, spent months learning about early literacy and training as Reading Buddies mentors, got crafts ready for storytimes and other kids' programs, created beautiful bulletin boards, and made many of the videos that pop up on Cromaine's blogs and social media. They helped seniors wrangle technology, championed children, and found empathetic ways to help their peers going through mental health struggles. Plus, many of our graduates volunteered with their friends and helped create a wonderful community of teens who laughed with each other, supported each other, and made so many younger volunteers feel welcome in the volunteer program. Their impact, both as individuals and collectively, is too significant to measure. Please join us in thanking Lizzy, Sarah, Madelyn, Rachel, Meghan, Lexi, Alice, Lillia, Yamato, Julie, Ella, Allison, Joseph, Lydia, John, and Ella!!
Lizzy - 75 hours over 4 sessions
While she is most proud of being a Reading Buddy (and deservedly so!!), I wanted to highlight another moment in Lizzy's career. Lizzy's most impactful role during the pandemic was as a Prefect during Harry Potter Camp. Due to the pandemic, Harry Potter Camp had to move online. One of the great tragedies of this change was the loss of that relationship building between the volunteers and the kids they support through the camp. Therefore, the volunteers as a group decided to use Google Meets every afternoon to interact with the kids in a new way. The attendees would hop on a Google Meet with other members of their house to discuss how they were doing in the House Cup competition, get help from the volunteers if they were having trouble with a craft, or simply chat with other kids during a moment in history where the ability to play with other children was limited. Each of these Google House Meets were run by two teen volunteers who tried to bring a little fun and normalcy to the kids during a time of isolation.
No volunteer shone brighter in this role than Lizzy. Even through a screen, she managed to bring such a warmth and energy to every House Meet. She checked in with every child during every Meet remembering what they said from the day before and following up on their previous comments and conversations. These kids simply adored her and waited for their turn to have their personal moment with Lizzy with an anticipation and reverence only reserved for celebrities. Her genuine interest in how they were doing and dedication to bringing a little bit of normalcy to kids in such a strange time was inspiring.
But what was truly remarkable was the way Lizzy helped foster relationships between the members of her House. Because the kids were so invested in the Meets and through Lizzy's ability to truly see and interact with everyone, the kids started imitating her behavior. After Lizzy would ask some opening questions, the kids started using those subsequent conversations as a building block to start their own conversations with each other. Encouraged by Lizzy, they found ways to connect, sometimes comparing their experiences making potions or crafts with each other or by making up various Harry Potter trivia or scenarios and debating the answers. The kids in Lizzy's group bonded with each other more than any other House.
The impact Lizzy made lasted far longer than the camp. The way Lizzy ran the Meets inspired parents to find ways for their children to connect virtually, something many of them had never considered before. One mother set up a virtual play date with a family she had never met in person thanks solely to their kids connecting during Lizzy's Google Meets. Lizzy is responsible for planting the seeds of many friendships by pushing the boundaries of what can be accomplished via video chat. In so doing, she proved how just one dedicated, kind, and caring person can change their small corner of the world and how their actions can reverberate throughout their community. She reminded everyone around her how valuable people who step up in times of crisis truly are.
Sarah -160 hours over 5 sessions
Lin Manuel Miranda faced a unique problem when trying to write the character of Eliza for his hit musical Hamilton. Over and over, he asked himself an important question that defined how he wrote about this central figure: "How do you make pure goodness compelling?" I feel a similar way writing about Sarah, except that Sarah's goodness is inherently compelling when you are lucky enough to be in the same room as her. It is a goodness felt more than seen, something that is hard to translate through a stage play but easy to feel when you're around her.
Sarah is the person you want to have at your side when life gets hard because, not only does she notice, she will do everything in her power to make your life easier. Sarah truly sees people and uses that intuitive intelligence to make others feel seen by shining a gentle light on their accomplishments. She is incredibly generous and genuine with her praise and lights up any room she enters. Her authentic warmth is both palpable and contagious. With a bright smile and even more brilliant laugh, Sarah can make anyone feel completely at home wherever they are. She can form relationships with anyone and make them feel like they have been best friends forever.
This is, perhaps, why she is so incredible working with kids. Sarah has been a staple helping at kids' programs for years, particularly during Harry Potter Camp. She turned the shyness she had as a child into a superpower by picking out the kids in the group who were like her and empathetically approaching them without judgement or expectation. Amazingly patient, she lets kids get comfortable in a program and around her at their own pace, and she is always there waiting with a welcoming smile and a helping hand when the kids are ready.
Sarah always steps up in moments of crisis. During the pandemic, no other volunteer tackled as many projects as Sarah. She was instrumental in everything from Pokemon Camp, to the Murder Mystery, to planning and running Harry Potter Camp. She was a part of nearly every brainstorming and outlining session, and probably had a better grasp of what was going on in the Teen Volunteer Program than I did. Yet she also took on so many smaller projects simply because we needed her. During the summer, she jumped in as a news anchor for Some Good News, lauded our Talent Show entries, and made book talks to show at all of the schools.
Sarah often claims the most difficult and pivotal roles of each program or project she is a part of. She is so in tune with the larger project and understands exactly how the piece she is working on fits into the whole. She has the unique ability to be able to alternate between leader and follower depending upon the situation and needs of the group and equally shines as both a supporter and the one leading the way.
Speaking of leadership, Sarah and another volunteer offered to be Captains of Cromaine's Quidditch team and spent a month during the summer helping teach the game to other teens, run practices, and make sure everything ran smoothly during the match against Livonia Library's Quidditch team. Aside from taking on a lot of responsibility behind the scenes, Sarah co-ran one of the practices when I was unable to do so. She led the team in making their brooms for the match and designed and ran through drills with them. There is no higher compliment we can give a volunteer than trusting them to "host" a program and Sarah absolutely nailed it!
Like Hamilton's Eliza, Sarah is the type of person who makes everyone around her better and kinder yet never seeks out any credit or notice for herself. She quietly drives the action of any project she is involved in and discreetly fills in the gaps when the pieces come together to form a whole. She makes such a habit of being there at the moment you need it most that it seems like magic.
Madelyn - 100 hours over 5 sessions
Madelyn is the type of person who steps up without being asked. While Madelyn was helping out with a concert during Harry Potter Week, she noticed the volunteers for that program and me frantically trying to move all of the tables and potion supplies inside due to the threat of rain. She immediately jumped in to help even though this was not a program she signed up to volunteer for. She responsibly went back to her duties during the concert but always kept an eye on the Camp just in case we needed an extra hand. Then, after being assured that the other concert volunteers had everything under control, she spent the rest of the night helping to run and clean up a very messy program that, unfortunately, had to move inside thus doubling the amount of work getting the tables scrubbed down and excavating the floor from under a layer of corn starch. It was easily the harder job, yet Madelyn tackled it without a moment's hesitation simply because she saw the need, and she stayed well past the library's closing time to make sure everything was back in order before she left.
Whatever project Madelyn is working on, she always has it handled. Madelyn was instrumental in helping the first Michigan Muggle Quidditch Tournament run smoothly by making sure we had snacks and crafts available for the players and their supporters and running those tables before, during, and after the match. She even brought a whole army of friends to help and cheer on our team. She brings that same approach to working in any program, making sure everyone has everything they need and every project and station runs efficiently, and she does it all with a smile and genuine gratification at being a part of every program.
Due to the blog, and the written and video projects we can showcase now, I've gotten to see another side of Madelyn this year. She is an incredibly talented writer who has an innate journalistic sense of knowing how to write an article to make it captivating to the reader. She picked some fascinating topics and the intelligent thought and research behind every article was evident in her writing.
Rachel - 50 hours over 2 sessions
Even though she has only volunteered for the last year, Rachel made such an impact! The first project she ever worked on was a doozy--making a cookbook for Harry Potter Camp, and she has been requesting and completing increasingly complex projects ever since!
Rachel is an incredible writer and created so many engaging blog posts, especially during last year's virtual Harry Potter Camp. From diary entries to letters debating the existential crisis of headlessness, Rachel found so many brilliant ways to take the source material from the Chamber of Secrets and make it her own in a fun, and oddly profound, way.
During the Fall, she used her talents to encourage other writers through a program she developed with her friend Meghan. Together, they created lesson plans, produced, and ran a writer's group for fellow teens with the intention of teaching writing skills, offering feedback on everything from homework assignments to passion projects, all in a supportive environment for budding authors. Rachel's intelligence and compassion were on full display in every meeting as she openly discussed her struggles as a writer and helped her peers through their struggles with astute advice and a listening ear. The participants loved the program and kept offering comments on each other's work and meeting over Google Meet to discuss their stories long after the program ended.
Some of the ideas she pioneered now form the foundation of the brand new Fast Pass Volunteering. With a focus on content creation, writers, like Rachel, are finally given the opportunity to showcase abilities that were otherwise not featured in the volunteer program. Plus these projects can be done entirely from home without ever having to step foot in the library. It was hard for me to get over the fact that I was supervising volunteers I had never met, and I had a lot of anxiety about the prospect. Yet watching Rachel not only succeed in this environment but absolutely crush every project gave me confidence in continuing to offer, and even expand, our virtual volunteer opportunities. That's quite an impact for only one year of volunteering!
Meghan - 60 hour over 3 sessions
My favorite experience working with Meghan happened during the Teen Writing Group. Along with Rachel, Meghan planned, produced, and ran this group for fellow teens with the goal of helping everyone become better, more confident writers. Meghan was so invested in this group that she literally joined us from her job at the end of her shift one night to lead the discussion! Watching her efficiently clean coffee makers while listening attentively to and offering advice to younger writers with equal care and consideration for both tasks just perfectly encapsulates who Meghan is. She can keep dozens of plates spinning at one time and make it look effortless.
Perhaps this is why she is the perfect volunteer to have in a chaotic environment. Even on the busiest, messiest days in the Youth Department, Meghan always had everything handled. When she sees a need, she meets it, even when it means coming in extra hours during Harry Potter Camp, or making sure the clean-up is done before she leaves. It's those little things that add up to a remarkable impact felt during every program she volunteers for.
One simply cannot talk about Meghan without mentioning the fact that she is wonderful working with people, especially kids. She is bright and easy to talk to, gregarious and fun, serious and compassionate. Her constant smile and approachable nature remind you of your favorite elementary school teacher beckoning you to join in the positive atmosphere she creates around her. Kids flock to her as if pulled by gravity and she lavishes them with attention and praise. She meets them on their level--literally and figuratively--often bending down to look them in the eye and helping each child with the project they have in their head without taking creative control. Her patience is legendary, as is her ability to connect with everyone she meets on a personal level making each person she encounters feel seen and heard.
Lexi -75 hours over 5 sessions
Lexi is one of the people that sets the tone for the teen room. She's always open and friendly to everyone and sends those positive vibes throughout the room making it a more welcoming and friendly environment whenever she's there. A witty and compassionate conversationalist, she can have full heart-to-heart conversations with anyone, friend or stranger. I've lost count of the number of people who have poured out their deepest secrets to Lexi.
Perhaps that is the reason why Lexi was the perfect person to tackle a mental health initiative at the Library. We both noted an increased need for mental health resources and spent many hours talking about what we could do as a library to help teens who were struggling. After looking at resources from mental health professionals and other libraries, we found a few examples we liked and decided to make some stickers, shelf guides, and bookmarks to help connect teens to mental health crisis intervention numbers, websites, and books.
Together, we decided to begin our project with mental health stickers placed in the front cover of every teen book. Lexi spent many hours debating which crisis hotlines to include and asked everyone from guidance counselors to teachers to peers about what resources they thought would be the most valuable. She then designed many versions of the stickers and surveyed everyone she could find about which design was the most eye catching and presented the information in the best way. After compiling her results, she then made thousands of stickers and led the way in making sure every book in the teen collection had one on the inside cover.
Lexi innately understood the importance of such an initiative and approached this project with a gravity far beyond her years. She spent so much of her own time outside of the library researching and surveying driven by an intrinsic need to make sure she completed this project to the best of her ability. She turned ideas into plans which she then put into motion all with the personal goal of changing a stranger's life for the better. While the pandemic interrupted some of those plans, she set the groundwork for future mental health projects and initiatives that will continue to impact teens long after she has graduated.
Alice - 100 hours over 3 sessions
Alice is the person I go to for book recommendations. Not only has she read half of the collection already, she also possesses the uncanny ability to find the perfect book for every reader. Speaking as a librarian, this is the quintessential skill every professional librarian aspires to have. It's usually a skill that comes from years of experience and practice, but Alice just has a gift for it. I think it's because she has a natural intuitive ability to read people and understand exactly who they are and what they need within moments of meeting them.
This talent forms the core of her interactions with everyone she encounters. Alice can join or open a conversation with just about anyone and always deepens the conversation with her sage comments. She has always possessed a maturity that belies her years and a wisdom rarely seen in humans. Unbeknownst to Alice, I have often heard her name spoken with awe from her peers both in volunteer settings and in reverence for her many accomplishments at school.
Alice is especially wonderful working with kids. As a Prefect during Harry Potter Camp, Alice assisted her little group with making crafts and participating in activities. With a quiet presence and a sweet smile, the kids instantly warmed to her. Alice has the enviable ability to radiate calm even in the most chaotic of situations and has used this superpower to refocus entire classes.
Come to think of it, this character description sounds like the perfect librarian. Hey, Alice, any interest in taking over my job when I retire? :) Don't worry, you have time to conquer the world first!
Lillia - 170 hours over 6 sessions
Lillia has a wisdom that belies her age stemming from her ability to think deeply and critically about everything. She has an insight from asking not only how something works but why. Lillia can think both linearly and creatively and uses each attribute to enhance the other. She then draws on those conclusions to make everything she touches more impactful, whether it be on a practical or emotional level. This makes her the ultimate problem solver and we often save the most complicated and demanding projects for her.
Lillia is the volunteer that inspires absolute trust. You know whatever project or situation she is in charge of--it's handled. On her first day as a tiny twelve-year-old volunteer, she single handedly ran the busiest station of a 300 person event by quietly anticipating every need, proving immediately that she can step into any new situation and just own it. Even at the last minute, Lillia jumps in to help with any task. One of the hardest workers I've ever met, Lillia puts her all into every project and exceeds expectations by miles every time.
Always willing to go above and beyond, Lillia consistently puts in more time and effort to ensure a project is not only completed but done right. The library hosted a Star Wars camp one summer that catered to Lillia's talents and interests in STEM but was, unfortunately, scheduled for a week she was unavailable. Undeterred, Lillia spent hours at the library weeks before the camp started making sure each activity made sense in the Star Wars universe, would promote and teach practical STEM concepts, and would be exciting and accessible to the kids. She worked during every spare moment to make sure every detail was realistic and ready to go, that every spaceship craft would be cherished enough to hang from bedroom ceilings, that each experiment and robot would amaze and inspire future leaders in the science and technology fields. The camp was a stellar success that simply would not have been possible without her diligence, dedication, and care. Yet she did it all knowing that she would never get the reward of interacting with the kids while they explored the fruits of her efforts and see their faces light up with wonder as her imagination came to life.
That's just the kind of person Lillia is. Humble almost to a fault, Lillia sacrifices recognition of her own achievements without a second thought. This attribute makes her an amazingly generous leader in group projects. She not only has a clear vision of every project, she is also naturally equipped with an innate ability to connect with people and highlight the strengths of those in her group. She wears the mantle of role model so naturally, she doesn't even notice the way other people look up to her and hang on her every word. Peers and kids alike follow her as if drawn to her.
Lillia is the kind of leader who steps up when needed without being asked. During a Geek Girls STEM program, she was always the person who jumped in to help if other kids or volunteers got stuck and guided them through projects with infinite patience. She never took over, instead letting the other people make mistakes and learn from them while strengthening their motivation to keep trying with generous praise of every accomplishment. She established herself as the go-to person for any questions with her vast knowledge and, more importantly, her approachable and reassuring presence. By the end of the week, everyone went to Lillia with any issue they were having and the natural experiments they conducted together became the highlight of the program.
Those experiments were born not only out of Lillia's desire to share her enthusiasm for science, but also her love of making anything fun. Lillia is wonderfully playful and game for anything, and the weirder the better. She spent an entire eight hour day coated in face paint with two stuffed animals duct taped to her shoulders barking at children like Cerberus of Greek mythology. Through the magic of video editing, she turned herself into a sobbing and perpetually overdramatic ghost that was actually see-through. During Princess Night, she spent an evening covered in bubbles and giggled right along with the kids as the pretended to be mermaids. Eschewing ego and embracing embarrassment, Lillia throws herself into each role in order to create a moment of magic for every child and they, in turn, clamor for more of her kind and generous attention. The joy on the kids' faces is only matched by Lillia's joy at seeing their irrepressible smiles.
Few people will ever have such a lasting impact on the volunteer program as Lillia. Because of her complete dedication, incredible insights into why each library program matters, and how teen volunteers can utilize their strengths to enhance those programs, she has irrevocably altered the basic role of a teen volunteer and pushed the boundaries as to what they accomplish far beyond that of any other library. The trust every librarian has in Lillia's capable hands paved the way for new volunteer projects which she developed, like setting the course for the entire Star Wars Camp, and working with other volunteers to plan and run entire programs independently, like Princess Night. She inspired us to build up that same trust with other teens who are flourishing under the new responsibilities pioneered by Lillia. She sets the precedent for every other volunteer and embodies the ideal to which we all aspire, both as professionals and as people.
Yamato - 60 hours over 3 sessions
Yamato became the default technology guru for so many of our volunteer projects that it sometimes felt like he worked at Cromaine. He assisted many people with their technology questions, helped Glenn--Cromaine's official tech guy--with library computers and the 3D printer, and even made instructional videos on how to code a game in order to help people learn the basics of coding in a fun and easy way.
Yamato was instrumental in running the virtual gaming program VR for Teens, setting up Cromaine's virtual reality equipment and testing out the games. Then when other teens came in after school, he would make sure every person who wanted to play got their chance. His maturity and knowledge inspired such trust that he basically ran the entire program by the end of the school year.
While trying to figure out how to make a grand finale for our Virtual Harry Potter Camp last summer, our brilliant volunteers brainstormed a Choose Your Own Adventure type ending for the week where the kids in the camp would have to try to survive in the Chamber of Secrets, defeat Tom Riddle, and save Ginny Weasley. An ambitious project to begin with, this finale pushed the boundaries of library programming beyond anything we had ever even dreamed of attempting before. After many hours of brainstorming, our amazingly creative volunteers (many of whom are in this shout-out) came up with a brilliant plot line for the adventure, filmed themselves playing characters, and created some of the most insanely complex videos I have ever seen. Yet the huge overhanging question became how do we put all of these pieces together in a way that kids would be able to journey through the Chamber of Secrets and encounter all of these characters and plot points via a non-sequential video series?
That's where Yamato jumped in to save the day. He suggested trying YouTube end screens and sent examples of how they worked to create a story via online games he found. Using YouTube was perfect because it was something the kids would be familiar with thus making it easier for them to participate. He discovered a way to make each video connect to one another in a way that was simple for both the viewer and the technologically challenged coordinator (me) to upload content. Thanks in large part to Yamato's game-changing idea, the Chamber of Secrets went off without a hitch. The Choose Your Own Adventure finale to Harry Potter Camp will go down as one of the most complex technological and staggeringly creative achievements in the history of the Teen Volunteer Program.
Julie - 100 hours over 4 sessions
The first thing to know about Julie is that she is a performer. She loves getting into character and digging deep into who that person is and what drives them. She's spent her volunteer years playing everything from a Disney Princess to a Death Eater in various kids' programs bringing an authenticity to each world that enhances the experience of every event she is a part of. The drama she brings to each performance never fully masks the intelligence behind each comment she makes while in character which, of course, is always spot on. Julie can convince kids that she is their imagination come to life.
This made Julie the perfect person to help stage a production of the Tale of the Three Brothers during Harry Potter Camp: Year 7. She used her talents and experience to turn a story from the Deathly Hallows into a short skit that set the tone for the entire camp. She analyzed and created everything from props to hand gestures to costumes trying to make something that could be riddikulus (ha!) legitimate and inspiring. She spent hours behind the scenes in rehearsals and prep days then played various roles during the production depending upon what was needed.
A mainstay at Harry Potter Camp since she participated as a kid, Julie knows this recurring program inside and out. Therefore, she can jump into any role at a moment's notice and succeed brilliantly. She often plays multiple roles in the same day based on need, switching from being a Prefect who helps kids in her house to playing the vile Bellatrix Lestrange and frightening children in the same hour. She is just as engaging with the kids as she is with fellow volunteers and conversations often revolve around her.
But what truly impressed me about Julie was when she stepped up to help with the Percy Jackson Book Club. The pandemic had just started and we were all floundering a bit trying to figure out what to do mere days after the world completely shifted. I came up with an idea to try to create an online book club around The Lightning Thief as a way to try to connect people together during a time of isolation. Julie immediately began making videos and tutorials about Greek Mythology to help bring levity and depth to the book club. She was one of the first people to embrace the changing world and helped to redefine what volunteering was going to look like for the next year, and she did it all without hesitation, willing to try and fail in order to help others succeed.
Ella - 240 hours (120 hours in Summer 2019 alone - a record!) over 4 sessions (before becoming a Page!)
Ella doesn't volunteer for any other reason than the fact that she truly loves it. For her, volunteering comes from such an honest, empathetic place that it becomes an expression of her true nature. The simple joy of being helpful, and of knowing her actions make a difference, gives her an intrinsic motivation to do as much as she can and give as much as she can. Generous to a fault, Ella signs up for every library program her schedule will allow then turns around and works on projects at home.
Through volunteering at the library, Ella is able to explore her incredible creativity through her art, then get to use that art as a medium through which she can interact with kids on another level. In a program blessed with an abundance of creative and artistic people, Ella is quite possibly one of the best artists I will likely ever encounter in my lifetime. She has an unparalleled ability to tailor her art to the needs of each individual project to enhance the experience of the kids at the library in a way that is accessible to her audience.
The Cromaine Library is known for its week long Harry Potter Camp where the goal is to bring the world of the books into reality. In a matter of just a few weeks, Ella almost single handedly created the entire shopping district of Diagon Alley and completely transformed a programming room from drab reality into a fantasy wonderland. She chose a colorful and bold artistic style that complimented the style of the books and movies yet would also draw the kids participating in the camp through the shops. Her art was not only brilliantly decorative and nuanced, it was amazingly functional by creating designated spaces for each activity which subtly helped to guide the flow of people though the room and through the program itself. Through functional art, she saved a significant amount of time that would have been used to direct people. But all of the practicalities of the design were completely lost on the participants who gaped upon seeing their imaginations come to life. Watching the wonder on the kids' faces the moment they first walked into Ella's Diagon Alley was moving enough to bring tears to my eyes.
After the kids enter the room, one truly gets to see Ella shine. Never is Ella's natural talent with people more evident than when she works with kids. She engages everyone she meets with an honesty, warmth, and openness that draws people to her like a magnet. Ella is not only generous with her time, but with her care and attention to everyone, especially kids who seem to crave her notice instinctively. With unlimited patience, Ella works with each child at their pace and their own level. She can spend hours solely focused on one child, guiding them until they find their way through a project or program. She helps them without ever taking creative control and praises creative risk taking. Ella is one of the few people who is equally comfortable with toddlers as with tweens and is the person I trust most to help the kids who are struggling, either physically with the project or emotionally in a new environment.
Gracious to coworkers and in group projects, Ella is the person you want by your side in any situation. She buoys the morale of any group she is a part of with her genuine compliments and abundant kindness. If kindness is an art, then Ella is Bob Ross. She can take the mistakes of others and turn them into something beautiful. Then she gives the credit to everyone but herself often sacrificing recognition of her achievements so that others may shine. That is not to say she is a pushover--she has the most incredibly unique ability of defending her opinions without ever coming close to being combative, a talent incredibly undervalued! Perhaps this stems from her ability to empathize with everyone, turning empathy into a superpower that helps her to understand the people around her without judgement. People pour out their hearts to Ella as if immediately sensing her innate ability to connect with every human being on a deep, intuitive, and intimate level.
Ella's joyful personality, willingness to do anything, and her innate ability to read people stands out. She then takes those traits a step further by using them to make the best of any situation. A couple summers ago, the library hosted a Sock Hop for families. If the Sock Hop program succeeded at all, it was due solely to Ella and her fellow volunteer Sydni. At the beginning of the night, the paid presenter taught a single step then just played music from a phone through some speakers. The disappointment from the attendees was palpable.
Ella immediately swung into action, literally and figuratively, by teaching the kids a few of her swing dance moves then leading the dancing the entire evening. She took a program that should have been a disaster and made it work by coaxing kids out on the dance floor. Her energy and enthusiasm drew the kids to her and she was so playful and natural with them. She risked making a fool of herself to entertain them. The kids simply adored her and practically battled for her attention, which she gave unselfishly to every child. But what was truly remarkable was how she read the situation and made every effort to improve it without being told. She steps up when it matters in the best way possible in every program she volunteers for.
Ella is the example that every person wants to live up to. Simply by being herself, Ella challenges everyone around her to be a more generous, accepting, and caring human being.
Allison - 120 hours over 6 sessions
The ultimate team player, Allison is always willing to jump into any role. From prepping crafts behind the scenes to leading group activities during library programs, Allison is willing and able to do anything and everything asked of her with infectious good humor. She knows how to make even the most tedious task fun and will happily play strange characters in videos with no thought of ego, only the enjoyment of others.
She is also incredibly perceptive and fills in gaps no one else notices. Because of this ability, Allison is the person to have at the busiest station during Hartland's Polar Express event that draws hundreds of families every December. She will bounce around the tables making sure every supply basket is filled and every child feels confident making their crafts or completing and activity. I often think of her kneeling down to be at eye level to the kids helping them with their crafts. She guides the kids without ever taking creative control. Even in a room filled wall to wall with people, she notices the kids who are a little shy and encourages them with her friendly smile and welcoming personality. Then those kids seem to pass the experience on and soon others will start to line up in front of her vying for her attention and generous praise. If I ever want to find Allison in that crowded program, I just look for the line of kids confident I will find her on the other end. She can make anyone of any age feel seen.
The volunteer experience that best encapsulates Allison's wonderful personality, skills, and contribution to her community is the Reading Buddies program at the library. Allison spent months as part of an elite, handpicked focus group, learning about the basics of early literacy in order to develop a program that would help struggling readers become more confident and proficient. Even though it was a huge time commitment, especially for a schedule as packed as hers, Allison dug into this program with great enthusiasm and became a visionary in its creation. Her insightful questions and comments helped shape the program into one that would be the most effective for the children to expand their literacy skills while still keeping a fun a playful atmosphere.
When Reading Buddies officially commenced, with each teen volunteer paired with an elementary school kid, Allison was amazingly attentive to her buddy and always found a way to make reading enjoyable for a child who always found reading a chore. She was able to truly help her buddy make small but meaningful strides in reading by sharing personal tips that helped her succeed when she was just beginning to read as well as incorporating some of the lessons and advice shared in the focus group in a natural way. Her patience was limitless and her buddy glowed under her tutelage.
Allison projects confidence and maturity so naturally that even her peers can't help but look to her for guidance. Leading by example, Allison always gives 100% of herself to everything she does. One of the most conscientious people I've ever met, everything Allison does is always done to the best of her ability and is always of the highest quality. She is incredibly unselfish with her time and talents and will go out of her way to compliment someone else's performance with genuine admiration and a keen insight as to why the compliment is deserved. This makes her a magnet for volunteers still unsure of themselves and she is just as gracious and patient with them as she is with young kids.
Joseph - 20 hours over 2 sessions
Joseph has always been an incredibly mature and kind person with an ability to focus and have fun at the same time. This combination of traits makes him the perfect person to have during any busy program, especially those geared towards kids.
My favorite memory of Joseph was during the Sock Hop the Library hosted for families a few summers ago. He showed up to the program looking like someone straight out of the show Grease complete with slicked back hair and a leather jacket, even though it was well over 80 degrees out. He completely got into character and sang along with every 50's song he knew. Then he spent the evening serving kids floats and other themed treats with an infectious smile and an unfailing courtesy not seen since the Sadie Hawkins dance was popular.
Lydia - 10 hours over 1 session
Lydia entered the volunteer program at, quite possibly, the strangest moment in the history of volunteering. Due to the pandemic, every program and volunteer opportunity was moved online, thus forcing the volunteers to adapt a vibrant in-person community online as well. So for a while, Lydia was only able to meet her fellow volunteers via a computer screen and me via email and Google Meets. Yet she tackled the strange circumstances with a grace, thoroughness, and sweetness that seem to be trademarks of hers.
Lydia immediately jumped into making content for the Teen Blog, writing blog posts and beautifully dancing in videos. Lydia, quite a talented dancer, choreographed a short routine for kids where she broke down the steps so that they could follow along with her at home. She was also the first volunteer to work on a project back in the library again and did a wonderful job putting kits together for our adult patrons to take home. In such a short amount of time, Lydia made such a positive impact, both as a volunteer and a person, and it is especially bittersweet to see her graduate just when we got to know her.
John - 55 hours over 3 sessions (before starting work here as a Page!)
While John was always a great volunteer, I didn't really get to know him well until he became a Page at Cromaine. While shelving books in the Teen Room, we would often get into these strangely deep and philosophical conversations over the most random subjects. John and I are almost total opposites so it was fascinating to see how he approached a topic or question. He always tackled every topic, no matter how absurd, with a seriousness that revealed an incredibly logical mind. He is able to see through the fluff and get to the heart of the matter in an incredibly perceptive way. Yet he could also find the levity in even the most serious of topics and always kept the conversations fun and entertaining.
In the midst of these conversations, John would bring in other people who were listening to our discussions and ask their opinion. He was always genuinely interested in what they had to say, even if he didn't agree with them. In fact, he loves being challenged to defend his opinions and does so with gusto! Yet he never forgets the other person and, while also being unfailingly polite during disagreements, he finds ways to bring other opinions back into the conversation so that no one feels left out or their opinion unheard.
John inadvertently created a community around these conversations. They became so popular, in fact, that we started official Wednesday Philosophical Discussions and people would show up in the Teen Room on Wednesdays just to hear what we were talking about that day. I lost count of the number of topics we took from the "audience" who soon found themselves an integral part of the conversation.
I really looked forward to these conversations because I love to sink my teeth into a good discussion particularly around someone's personal belief systems and the way the see the world. John was never afraid to go toe to toe with me (who can be very stubborn and overdramatic!) and present a different perspective I had never considered before. John always challenged me to think beyond my personal opinions and experiences which, I hope, made me a better librarian, volunteer coordinator, and human being. But no, John, I will still not give up on indoctrinating you to the Harry Potter fandom somehow. ;)
Ella - 15 hours over 2 sessions
Ella first volunteered back when she was just entering high school and it was a blast to have her back as a senior this year! She so easily picked up right where she left off without missing a beat even though basically the entire program had changed. Confident and smart with a great sense of humor, Ella easily fits into any environment and becomes the core of any conversation.
Ella and Sarah tag teamed a lot of their volunteer projects, including the videos they made for Pokemon Camp. These videos were incredibly cute and well put together, but it is the untold story from behind the scenes that make these videos special.
Friends for years, it was only natural that Ella and Sarah would team up for this project. Together, they drove all around Hartland to find the perfect landscape that illustrated their Pokemon's habitat. Of course, the day they had to film was one of the coldest of the month and constantly threatened rain. They took turns filming each other happily waving their arms around gesturing to imaginary beings that must have seemed crazy to anyone watching. Take after take, they warded off the elements and curious onlookers until they got the perfect shot. Then they spent hours at home putting Pokemon into the videos and trying to make those arm gestures make sense.
All the struggle behind the scenes was worth it! The videos were so adorable and explained the basics of Pokemon in a fun, easy to understand way. Ella's presence on screen was just as confident and charismatic as it is in person.
On a Personal Note:
Seeing all of your incredible accomplishments together and reminiscing about the wonderful times we have had together has made me quite emotional. Thank you for all of your creative ideas, fascinating conversations, and incredible work ethic that made each day exciting and challenged me to work harder to make everything from the volunteer program to the atmosphere of the library the best it can be. The teen program is so much better due to you. Thank you all for giving yourself so generously, freely, and openly to the Cromaine community. I have truly treasured every moment with you and wish you nothing but happiness, good fortune, and contentment in the future. Wherever life takes you, know that you always have a home at Cromaine. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. ~ Carolyn (Teen Librarian)
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