Gratifying Service to Students

I started in January 2020 and I definitely felt nervous that I wouldn’t be able to connect with the kids, or that I wouldn’t remember some of the material. On my first day though, I sat down with a 6th grader named Tylon and we worked on math and talked about sports, movies, and comic books. He immediately made me feel welcome, comfortable, and confident that I could connect with and help the kids. For the next couple months before Maranatha closed, I worked with so many great kids: I had some good days and some more difficult days, but it was always rewarding. One of the things I missed the most during the onset of shelter in place was tutoring, so I was so happy when it came back via Zoom. I’ve had the chance to work with amazing students since it’s come back, and I am so grateful for everyone at BATA, Maranatha, and Bible Way who has put me in a place to have such a rewarding experience.

Matthew Goodman holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Physics from Loyola Marymount University and a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA. He has been a tutor since college, helping students in physics and math, and through BATA has worked on the Marantha program from January-March and the Maranatha/Bible Way program from June-Present.