Volunteer Spotlight: Anne Davies

Veteran Tutor/Mentor Anne Davies has been working with her student, Imann Mitchell for 4 years! They were first matched up when Imann was a 7th grader. Now, Anne helps Imann navigate the complex dynamics, both social and academic, of being a sophomore at Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center. Since their first year working together, Anne has helped Imann blossom into a talented and articulate writer, as well as a proficient Spanish-speaker. They have also worked a lot on Imann’s math skills. In addition to academic pursuits, Anne has helped Imann to put her best foot forward and gain the confidence to conquer her shyness and assert herself in social situations. Since Anne and Imann have worked to build a strong mentoring relationship, Anne is also able to counsel Imann and help her navigate the many non-academic challenges she has as a high school sophomore grappling with many new and exciting issues for the first time.

In mentoring Imann, Anne can draw from a wealth of experiences she has had working with youth throughout her life. For instance, Anne worked for three years at a teen helpline in Indianapolis where she helped counsel teens through whatever issues they were struggling with at the time. She also coached youth soccer teams throughout her college years at the University of Tennessee, where she graduated with a degree in journalism. Since then, Anne has continued on with her education, recently receiving her MBA from DePaul University with a focus on marketing and communications. She earned this MBA part-time while working for her current employer, General Growth Properties, which owns large shopping malls around the city, including nearby Water Tower Place.

Luckily for us, Anne’s commitment to our program extends beyond her work with Imann. She has helped in the planning of our annual “Year End Dinner,” which is a celebration of our kids and a chance to show off the successes of our program to prospective students and their families, potential donors and the community at-large. Anne has also recently expressed interest in putting her marketing and communications degree to use helping us figure out how to get more media coverage for our program and events so we can spread our message to more potential friends, students, volunteers, donors…etc. She also will be working with our staff to try to facilitate more effective workplace fundraising efforts from our volunteers. So, thanks Anne, for constantly going above and beyond! Both you and Imann are destined for great things!