Board Member Spotlight: Ruth Grene

Ruth Grene has been a volunteer tutor for Literacy NRV since 2020 and joined our volunteer board of directors in May 2022.

We asked Ruth to share her experience with us:

Tell us a little bit about yourself:

I have lived in Blacksburg for 36 years. My children and grandchildren are nearby. I love to work out, cook, read, and talk about books in book clubs.

What inspired you to volunteer for Literacy NRV and how long have you been

volunteering with us?

I spent 30 years as a VT faculty member in plant science. The graduate students whom I supervised over the years came from all over the world. Together, we worked hard on their science but also on perfecting their English with the goal of sending them well prepared out into professional life. In retirement, I have been fortunate, over the past five years, to be able to tutor students in English language learning under the aegis of LNRV.

What’s your favorite thing about volunteering with Literacy NRV?

I love studying languages myself and thinking about how best to translate words and idioms, so tutoring English language learners is a natural fit for me. Being able to continue to be a teacher in retirement is a source of great joy for me. The students that come to LNRV are very different from those from my “previous life”, presenting a new and refreshing challenge!

What specifically inspired you to become a board member?

I feel very strongly that tutors have a special role to play, bringing the “real world” experiences of our organization to the attention of board members.

We're so grateful to have you on the Literacy NRV team, Ruth, and we look forward to even more success stories!