Youth is an advantage when tutoring

Yazmin LaFleur-Donaby understands why, at 17, she can be an effective tutor and mentor — as good as, if not better than, many adults.

Yazmin volunteers her work with elementary-school kids through the Study Buddy program at two affordable-housing developments. The programs are operated by CommonBond Communities, a St. Paul-based nonprofit providing housing and other services to low-income residents.

It's not just about knowing the material, though as a senior at DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis in the National Honor Society, Yazmin has more than mastered her mentees' third-grade and kindergarten homework assignments.

"I'd say I'm pretty proficient in that area," she said dryly.

But there's another factor that makes teens like Yazmin particularly good candidates for tutoring younger kids: relatability.

"It's, like, the advantage of being a teenager," she said. "Since we've been [that age] a little more recently, we can relate a little bit more. They look up to us. It's a big brother-big sister opportunity."

She likes to point out other ways to do things the kids might not even have encountered in class.

When Jelanna talks about Yazmin, she betrays a hint of pride in her daughter's achievements.

"She is an awesome, awesome, awesome daughter," Jelanna said. "Of course, everybody thinks their children are wonderful. But she's just focused and busy, up late doing homework."

Yazmin is indeed busy. She practices competitive cheerleading three or four times a week. And she has already performed the 60 hours of community service that DeLaSalle requires of graduates.

But she's still motivated to continue tutoring. She enjoys working with kids from a diverse range of backgrounds, including Somali and Hmong children, and she likes watching their youthful enthusiasm.

"I think DeLaSalle has just kind of instilled in us that it's good to help out, good to take a little bit of time to help wherever help is needed."

In her spare time, she enjoys the usual teenage pursuits: shopping, eating, trying new foods. And "I'm guilty of loving my phone a little too much," she admitted.