After two years at Lick-Wilmerding, Rebekah Randle, the Learning Strategies Associate, is excited and sad to be leaving LW next fall to go to graduate school at University of San Francisco, where she will study Librarian Science. Rebekah has served not only as a tutor and a learning service to students, but she also made time to teach origami and run a Japanese club and pen pal program. She hopes that LW students will come to use her for study habits and organizational skills, and if not for that, to learn cool Japanese words before we leave for the summer.
Paper Tiger: What made you come to Lick?
Rebekah Randle: I heard about the Lick learning service program, like a lot of people hear their news now, through Facebook. Winifred Montgomery was my counselor at Notre Dame Belmont High School. After I left high school as a sophomore, I attended community college and then went to Berkeley. After college, I lived in Japan for five years. When I came back from living in Japan for five years, I reached out to see if anyone was hiring in the education field. I worked in education in Japan, and as an adult with a learning difference this position at Lick was a great merge of my two passions and interests.
PT: What has been your biggest accomplishment in your position?
RR: I am most proud of my relationships with students because there can be a lot of boring bureaucracy that can weigh down relationships in the work place. With my job, I have a large portion of my day dedicated to meeting with students one on one or in groups. I love seeing the improvement of the kids that I am working with on their writing,
organization and reading skills. I also am super proud of the Japanese pen pal program that I helped start.
PT: What’s your favorite project that you have worked on?
RR: I really liked the independent studies I have done in the past, the one with you, KK, and the one with Adila Loh ’14 last year. I take on a different role when I am the mentor in independent studies. I also enjoy the small stuff like teaching pokemon origami with Yetta Allen in The Center. In a larger sense I’m proud of the organizational system that I designed for the AP testing system, making it more equitable and easier for everyone.
PT: What is your favorite part of your job?
RR: School supplies! I know this is small but I am a nerd
Rebekah Randle,
photo by Julia Thompson
PT: What do you hope to leave behind at Lick?
RR: #teamcatwaffle. Let me explain the story behind this: last year I was talking to a student after school and we came to the realization that the school lacked panini makers (this was before Malhar Singh ’16 brought them to Lick) and most importantly, the school didn’t have waffle makers. But I reassured them that I have a Hello Kitty waffle maker, and we wanted an LSC cat, so we combined our two wishes into Teamcatwaffle.
PT: What are your plans for next year?
RR: I am going to grad school, to study library science, and to get a masters. I want to organize stuff, I love organizing stuff.
Rebekah Randle photo by Julia Thompson
PT: What is one word to describe your experience at Lick?
RR: Connection. I have made some great friends in the faculty and staff. I feel very connected to the students and hope to continue. It made me feel more connected to the Bay Area after not living here for five years.
PT: Do you have any advice for students who have a learning difference?
RR: Reach out and use resources that are available. I don’t know what the percent of the students that use the LSC, but it’s not only for kids with a learning difference. It’s here for everyone. If you do have a learning difference, you have the advantage of learning how you learn at such a deeper level, and you shouldn’t be ashamed. In my experience, LW students are prepared in a different way because of the time you have spent examining how you learn. It’s pretty awesome how much you are prepared for things after you take the time to understand how you learn.