The Student with the Old Soul

14 years old and absolutely fascinated by the life of Napoleon Bonaparte, Rudh Raj is quite the unique high schooler. He loves learning French and telling jokes -- most recently when chatting, he flexed his repertoire of dryly delivered "Chuck Norris" style jokes.  Rudh Raj doesn't sound like the profile of a kid you'd expect at a refugee reading program, but very little is conventional about Rudh Raj.  

I joined Reading Circle as a mentor in January 2021 after chatting with a work colleague who was sharing about volunteer opportunities at a local nonprofit that worked with refugee students.  From the very beginning, I resonated with the mission and manifestation of the service Refugee Resources delivers. I was a Tuesday night regular in no time.

Rudh Raj came to Reading Circle six years ago because of a knock at the door and a nudge from his father. Since then Rudh Raj has blossomed and exceeded expectations academically.  Despite being a literacy stand out, Rudh Raj says he keeps coming to Reading Circle because of the people. He loves being able to connect with his former mentor, Patrick, as well as hang out with friends like Francis, another student, who shares a reading table with us at Northwest Community Center.

I've worked with a handful of talented students, but Rudh Raj has presented a unique challenge and opportunity because he is already a high level reader. We are rarely focused on the mechanics, phonics, or grammar of the words on a page. Rather it is an opportunity for iron to sharpen iron. We talk about thoughts and experiences inspired by school, friends, and interesting articles we read that week.

Each week there is a convergence at our table with other mentors and students. Reading the weekly Bible passage inspires questions from each student. And of course, there is the joking that comes with the territory of being teenage boys. Rudh Raj and Francis love joking with each other. Sarcastic jokes followed by big smiles.  

Rudh Raj constantly encourages other kids to come to Reading Circle because, in his words, it is "a land of opportunity" for learning language. He deeply believes in the importance of language because it is at the core of how we communicate with one another. Reading has become the key to opening doors of interest for Rudh Raj -- reading about history, Bible stories, and even learning other languages beyond English. 

He has a bright, joking personality, but also takes some things very seriously. "I take my grades very seriously. I think education is the most important thing..."  And the experience of being a refugee has no doubt shaped him into the resilient young man he is today. When Rudh Raj reflects on his own experience, he believes one of his key strengths is his adaptability. From moving first to India then to the US -- to a new school and to Reading Circle, learning new languages, and meeting new people along the way, he says he can adapt to any situation. It has been a great pleasure to mentor Rudh Raj these past few months and see him grow and adapt to every new situation thrown at him. Rudh Raj says he hopes to become a Reading Circle mentor one day. 

"Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words" - St. Francis of Assisi.

Written by Matthew Henry
Edited by Emily Thompson