I'm in my eleventh year of working with area students to improve their math skills.

(Yes, I had the privilege of tutoring in that famous large national learning center in Pendleton. It's no longer open, but it was great while it lasted.)

I've helped hundreds of school-age and adult students from throughout our region, including Umatilla, Hermiston, Stanfield, Echo, Pendleton, Pilot Rock, Meacham, La Grande, Helix, Athena, Weston, Milton-Freewater, and Walla Walla. In addition to the satisfaction of tutoring so many students, it has been especially gratifying to watch them proudly accept their diplomas and move on from high school to new challenges. In fact many of them have come back after graduating -- seeking more preparation prior to starting college.

Outside of that official experience, I also made time to volunteer. Strangely, some local schools were hesitant, but the local association of home-school families was enthusiastic and welcoming. It was a pleasant surprise to find so many strong and hard-working students working at a high level. In fact they enjoyed competitions! Our MathCounts team dominated the area and took first place in the chapter competition two out of three years, and also had one second place finish. We also had the top individual three years in a row, and not always the same kid. In fact one year we had five individuals (three boys and two girls) in the top ten, all while competing against four public middle schools from the area. In three consecutive years we advanced teams or individuals to the State level competition held in Corvallis. It was fun, and the hard work was totally worth it.

Those now too old for MathCounts have continued in the American Math Competitions. Don't be surprised if someday we produce an Olympian, as we've already had two students earn Certificates of Achievement for working well above grade level. To top it all off, we formed a class of three home-schooled kids, ages 13-16, and studied Calculus for seven months. They all took the College Board's Advanced Placement exam and passed, scoring high enough to earn some college credit. (Can your high school say that? Hah!)

The past eight years have been amazing, too. After opening our new classroom we advertised very little, growing mainly by word of mouth. My deepest thank-yous to the families both within and far beyond Pendleton that helped make our early independent years such a success.