She began volunteering at A.J. Katzenmaier School in North Chicago as a sophomore and since has accumulated more than 150 hours as an NCCP volunteer.

A Forester women’s basketball player, Schuring would occasionally visit the school with her team to teach the students basketball. This led to a greater commitment at the school: first, helping with the boys’ and girls’ afterschool program and later, leading the pilot Academic Lunch Bunch tutoring program.

“The kids were just so fun and funny, and it was entertaining just to get to know them,” Schuring said.

Jennifer Kahl Grumhaus, excecutive director of NCCP, nominated Schuring for the honor along with two other young women who serve as youth literacy leaders. About a dozen Lake County volunteers receive the award each year during National Volunteer Week in April.

“Sam instantly connected with her nervous students, calming their fears about the new program, the new classroom and the new tutor,” Grumhaus writes in her nomination letter. “Her warm smile and unconditional encouragement made it easy for Sam to build trusting relationships with the students so they could quickly move to the more difficult work of remedial instruction.”

Schuring said she appreciates the flexibility in her class schedule, which allowed her to volunteer for an hour and a half to two hours in the middle of the day on Mondays and Wednesdays.

She enjoys sharing her experience at A.J. Katzenmaier with her friends.

“I like to bring people with me. Every semester I try to get someone to come,” she said.

Margaret “Molly” Thomsen ’13 and teammates Alex Messacar ’13 and Gina Ambrose ‘14 have been among her guests.

Schuring plans to stay at Lake Forest College next year and earn her Master of Liberal Studies degree. If her schedule allows, she hopes to continue her volunteer work.

News Contact

Kellie Doyle
doyle@lakeforest.edu
847-735-6177

Related Links:

• Visit North Chicago Community Partners