Darbie Little
She’s teaching an English class for Spanish speakers
Medical school students usually don’t have much spare time. But Darbie Little makes the most of what time she has.
What started as a class project a little more than a year ago has turned into a regular program at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. Little teaches English classes for Spanish speakers once a week in the parish hall, which has served as a place of worship after last spring’s tornado.
“I took a community outreach course, and we were supposed to design a project,” Little said. “I started working with St. Pat’s when I heard they had Spanish Mass. Language is such a barrier for people.”
She organized other friends and volunteers to teach the class from 1:45 to 3 p.m. Sundays, starting in the fall.
“It’s kind of a come-and-go thing,” the Coe College graduate said. “We haven’t had very many people that are consistent. But we’re trying to get more fliers out. We haven’t had as much attendance as we’d like, but the people that are here are making progress.”
Besides helping recent immigrants learn English, the classes also give Little and the other volunteers a chance to practice their Spanish.
“None of us are really experienced,” the Davenport native said. “We wanted to do something that would make it as accessible to the community as possible. We also were trying to offer child care when necessary. We’re trying to gear it more toward the students’ needs.”
Little isn’t sure what branch of medicine she’ll eventually specialize in, but she wants to continue to help people. She’s also working toward a degree in public health.
“I really want to work with people that are in need of services,” she said.
— Jon Klinkowitz
