News Informanet

I've been a public elementary school teacher for 29 years. In all that time, I've never known a more dedicated volunteer than Judge Merrick Garland.

That's why it was such a joy to see President Obama name him to serve on the Supreme Court.

Now, as a teacher, I come across a lot of people who talk about putting children first. But Judge Garland is someone who puts his words into action.

I met Judge Garland nearly 10 years ago when I started teaching at the same elementary school in D.C. where he volunteers. He wanted to find a way he could make the most impact on the lives of children in need, so he offered his time as a tutor.

He came down to our school every other week, working one-on-one with students for an hour during the day to help them with reading, math, or any other lesson. After doing this week after week for 10 years, he's now the longest serving volunteer tutor I've seen at this school.

For me, this is about so much more than tutoring. It's about our children having another adult in their lives who encourages them when they need it, supports them when they falter, and tells them to never give up on their dreams.

I'll tell you what I appreciate most about this man: He never asks for recognition, or fanfare. He just does what he committed to do. He even convinced some of his staff to volunteer too, so now we have a whole group of volunteers that come down from his office to help.

Now, that's character. I think our world would be a much better place if we had more people as committed to the idea of service as Judge Garland.

Thank you for listening,

Charlene

Charlene Wilburn 
Washington, D.C.