Who We Are

Sue is a retired Family Practice physician who from early in her career was interested in the effects of stress on health. Since the early 1980s she has promoted the benefits of mindfulness to thousands of patients, both young and old.

“I wanted to get involved with Mindful Community Tutors when I saw a piece pointing out how far behind many children had slipped because of COVID and how they may never catch up. I saw it as an opportunity to become part of something that could address this issue, that could energize seniors and that could help beleaguered teachers.”

Christine is a recently retired business owner and former international banker.

“I wanted to get involved with Mindful Community Tutors because I have been looking for a way to express my gratitude for having been so fortunate in my life. My mother and my niece were both highly skilled teachers who frequently talked about students who were struggling with academics and thereby risked falling behind for a lifetime. When I heard about Mindful Community Tutors’ approach, I enthusiastically offered to participate. The program has the added benefits of supporting teachers. For me, it is a match made in heaven.

Art is an 81 year old retired attorney who spent most of his working career at Argonne National Laboratory. More recently, he spent 10 years as a volunteer with the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago.

“I wanted to get involved with with Mindful community Tutors to help deal with the effect that Covid had on the children who missed out on learning opportunities.”

William is a Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago (retired), and writes about teaching as an ethical enterprise.

“I wanted to get involved with Mindful Community Tutors because I saw the potential to build the most natural Beloved Community: young and old learning together, hand in hand, heart to heart.”

Rachel is Chair of Languages, Literatures & Cultures at the University of Denver and Associate Professor of Italian. She is an advocate of holistic education and the vital role that advising, tutoring and mentoring play in student persistence and success.

“I wanted to get involved with Mindful Community Tutors because it sparks meaningful community engagement between students, teachers and older adults. Through the intentional lens of mindfulness, this program inspires and enables many to thrive.”

Andrea has a career which spans corporate sales and marketing management, educational leadership and non-profit management roles. Currently, Andrea provides consultation services focused on strategic planning, governance and organizational development.

“I wanted to get involved with Mindful Community Tutors because students who struggle academically often benefit from a positive connection with a caring adult who can provide encouragement and focused direction. With the combined support of classroom teachers and parents, students can jump start and even accelerate progress that has stalled or become interrupted. Incorporating mindfulness in the tutoring process is an exciting life skill to be shared and practiced.”