David has been a dedicated volunteer with the North County HELP Center for the last several years. He has tutored students weekly through the Job Opportunities for Youth (JOY) Project and Chalk Talk after-school academic program at Taft High School. One student shared that with one-on-one support, “I am now able to understand how math works and feel confident in class with the extra support.” Students describe David as nice, patient and helpful. Lincoln County School District is thankful to have David as a positive influence, mentor and tutor with our students. #HELPvolunteers

In his own words, David describes why he gives back to our kids,

“I volunteer because I want to give back to the community. I was lucky to have some teachers that really cared about the students when I was in K – 12 in California. These teachers made a difference in my life and led me to a career in math and engineering. I was the first in my family to get a college degree. Two of my brothers followed me into engineering careers. Through my long career in product development and engineering management, I always felt that the most rewarding part of the job was mentoring others.

As you can probably guess, some engineers can be timid and/or have communication issues. It was good helping those people find the confidence to take on additional leadership responsibilities and reach their full potential. A couple of my assignments involved managing international design centers, which exposed me to different communication styles and cultural values. Mentoring was even more important here because project activity involved getting individuals from multiple countries to work as an effective team.

After retiring, I joined the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program in Portland. My Little and I stayed together for over eight years. I could see the difference that encouragement made in my Little’s life and wanted to continue to help after I moved to the coast. The Kids Zone was going through a transition when I talked to them, so I contacted people in the JOY program to see if I could help there. From there, I moved to the tutoring program at Taft.

I have been impressed by both the JOY and Tutoring Club coordinators that I have worked with. The commitment to the students is very visible; it builds trust and encourages open communication. The students are lucky to have adults that are willing to take the time to make a connection.

I will continue to contribute my time where I think it will make a difference.”

Dave Maguire

Thank you, Dave, for all you’ve done to improve the learning and provide support to our youth of Lincoln County!

If anyone is interested in becoming a volunteer, please check in the Fall at our schools for opportunities and find more information online at https://lincoln.k12.or.us/get-involved/volunteer/