California Teen Shares Her Love of Learning with Younger Kids

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Veda Mungara. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light. 

Veda Mungara may have only recently turned 15, but that isn’t stopping the high school sophomore from helping others. After seeing a flyer at school for Edutine, an organization that provides free online tutoring to elementary and middle school students, Veda decided to jump in as a volunteer tutor and mentor. Following the group’s belief that “education is the key to opportunity,” Veda uses her own intense passion for learning, particularly in subjects like math and computer science, as a mentor and role model to younger children.  

Veda’s role within the organization has expanded, as well. After starting out in July 2022 as a “mini tutor,” Veda now hosts one-on-one classes on Zoom. She researches and coordinates the lesson plans herself, creating slides to use as presentations for the students. Known for her ability to connect with each student on a personal level, Veda actively adapts each of her meticulously-planned lessons to meet the individual needs of each student.  

Her role within the organization has also expanded, and she now serves as the secretary and director of advertisement of Edutine. Working closely with the group’s leadership, Veda plays an important role in determining how the group will expand. But she’s steadfast in her belief that someone doesn’t need to take on a major leadership role in order to help others. Read on to discover why Veda believes that one small thing really can make a big difference. 

Tell us about your volunteer role with  Edutine. 

I hold one-on-one classes where I teach subjects like math, French and sometimes computer science. I make presentations using slides, but I also give homework and quizzes and tests and stuff like that. I really want to make sure that all their questions are answered and they understand the material. I was also recently appointed as an officer. I’m a secretary, so I focus on advertising Edutine in the community and on social media.   

What inspired you to get started with this initiative?  

I felt like overall, I just had so much passion for learning. I wanted to learn French, and I just wanted to improve my skills, because I’ve always wanted to travel to Europe one day. But I had never been able to dive into it deeply, and I’ve always wanted to do so.  And I just really wanted to learn from the amazing program.  

What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization? 

Our main goal is to expand. We really want to expand globally. Right now we have a chapter in India and one here in the United States, but we want to expand further so that we can really capture the essence of our organization and spread this mission throughout the world. 

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work? 

I just really love working with children and helping them grow. Seeing them learn and become a different person brings me so much joy every day. For instance, the other day my student was struggling with learning this concept in math. It took us a lot of different ways for her to understand, and when I was able to teach it to her, it brought me so much joy because I was able to help overcome one of her struggles. Just seeing her understand and be happy and be proud of something also makes me happy. 

What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer? 

I’ve learned you should always do something not for your own benefit, but for helping your community. When you help someone, it’s so much more rewarding than anything else, especially when you’re doing something that you love. When you’re doing something to help people, that is the most rewarding thing.  

Tell us about future partnerships, programs or events that you are excited about. 

As I mentioned before, I really like computer science. So we’re planning on having a hack-a-thon as a live event in the Bay Area with another club. What we wanted to do is go to another place without many resources, and teach them how to code, like a little boot camp. 

Any advice for people who want to start volunteering? 

I know it’s hard, but reach out to people. I found that cold emailing people at different organizations really helps. People want to help make a difference in our world. If you show the drive to do so, people will be willing to help you. I think that reaching out to people, though it may seem hard and you might be skeptical about it in the beginning, really goes a long way. 

What do you want people to learn from your story? 

The feeling of getting involved in your community is so rewarding that it’s indescribable. If you really love something, but you’re scared to do it, just do it. You never get the opportunity to have these experiences again. And though it may seem scary, there’s always people you can reach out to. If you do this, imagine how many smiles you’ll put on people’s faces.  

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Veda? Find local volunteer opportunities.