Our volunteers assist the students and staff in countless ways. We welcome you to join our team of extraordinary volunteers. If you’re interested in volunteering, please contact the Program Director, Michelle Duval via e-mail:  m.duval@live.com

At GPA, we are fortunate and grateful to have many volunteers who donate their time and talent to support our overall mission:

Amy AbuShanab started volunteering with GPA when she moved to Boston in 2016. She loves to help teach English as a form of empowerment and community engagement and previously spent a year teaching English in Palestine. In her spare time, Amy enjoys traveling, hiking, and playing piano. In her professional life, Amy is the Assistant Director at the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy at Brandeis University, working with a research team that helps shape policies, programs and practices which improve the lives of people with disabilities on community.

Terry Armstrong has a B.A. in Biology and has worked in healthcare clinical labs for 20 years. When she was younger, she lived in a house for international students for four years. It was a real education and led to an interest in politics and international affairs. Terry also had a lifelong interest in the middle east because her father worked there while she was young. Most recently, she has developed an interest in the Syrian refugee crisis and she was frustrated to sit by and unable to do something about it. She finally traveled to Greece and worked in a refugee camp for a month over the summer of 2017. When she came back she wanted to continue to help refugees and immigrants here in Boston and found the Adult Education Program at GPA did just that.

Danielle Gauthier is a veteran volunteer with GPA’s ESOL program. Throughout her college years, she volunteered at a local refugee center and following graduation, she taught English to middle school and high school students in Germany. Danielle now works at a consulting firm that partners with nonprofit organizations, and in her free time, enjoys traveling, reading, and hiking. Danielle is grateful for the chance to work with the dedicated students of GPA and help them in their English language learning.

Diane Gordon has volunteered at the ESOL program at Gardner Pilot since January 2017. She was motivated to work directly with immigrants because she wants to be the face of America that reflects who we really are as a country, and to help immigrants learn the skills they need to feel safe and to pursue their own goals in the United States. In her professional life, she has worked with community based nonprofit organizations for over 35 years as a leader, manager, and consultant.

Sophia Lalli is a Speech-Language Pathologist at Spaulding Rehab Hospital and a new Boston resident! Language and travel have always been very important in her life. She grew up in the Greek-American community where she founded a love for culture and tradition. She received a certificate in International Studies during her undergraduate career. Joining GPA as a volunteer has been a blessing to combine her background and interests, while having the chance to meet wonderful people. She is inspired by your commitment to learning and ready to help in any way she can. Thank you for welcoming Sophia to the GPA community!

Sam McGuire is a senior studying Spanish and International Relations at Boston University. He is originally from Richmond, VA, but lived in Chile for much of 2022 and is now an Allston native. When not at school, he lives with his mom and cat in Greensboro, NC and enjoys playing tennis and basketball, watching football, and photography. Professionally, he is interested in language, design, and teaching – he is thrilled to be volunteering at GPA to gain classroom experience in hopes of receiving a Fulbright grant to teach English in Guatemala. He hopes to create a fun and laughter-filled atmosphere in class, and to continue creating relationships with students who will teach him just as much as he teaches them.

John Merfeld is a second-year volunteer at GPA. He grew up in Madison, Wisconsin but has lived in Boston since 2013. John is motivated to work with immigrant communities by his belief that America (and particularly Boston) should be a place of welcoming, openness, and opportunity. From 9 to 5 he works at a local cybersecurity startup, and otherwise enjoys creative pursuits such as making music, writing about science, and drawing large maps.

Keishi Nambara is a 1st year volunteer at GPA’s ESOL program. Since education in Boston has tremendously helped him facilitate his growth, he hopes to give back to his community through tutoring. Keishi is originally from Okinawa, Japan, and he graduated from Northeastern University in 2018 with a B.S. in biology. He currently works as a clinical research coordinator at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. In his spare time, he loves to play the piano, exercise at his local gym, and learn Spanish.

Diana Schwarz: Diana is a recent graduate of Wesleyan University in May of 2023 where she earned a B.A in Neuroscience & Behavior and Psychology. At Wesleyan she was involved in athletics and participated in a research lab studying the effects of math games on preschoolers’ early education and development. Diana currently works at Boston Children’s Hospital in research and hopes to go to medical school in the next few years. This is Diana’s first year volunteering at GPA; she is extremely excited to play an impactful role in students’ education and learn and grow as a person herself! In her free time, Diana enjoys being active, cooking, playing basketball, and exploring the city of Boston with her twin sister, Lois.

Jason Shi: My name is Jason and I am a sophomore at Boston University studying Cellular Molecular Biology and Genetics. In my free time, I enjoy sketching, basketball, and video games. I was inspired to be a volunteer at GPA because of my immigrant mom. Even though she raised my siblings and I in the United States for many years, my mom never had a good grasp of the English language. I want to help others like my mom to break their language barrier so they can become more independent, social, and engage in new opportunities.

Reshma Subramonian is an undergraduate student studying Biology at Boston University. She grew up in India for most of her life, originally being very reliant on friends to help her communicate in the local language. After spending a lot of time in tuition and later tutoring English to others, she found herself passionate about learning and teaching languages. She hopes to help others find the words that they need to express themselves as well and gain the confidence to feel comfortable in their environment. Other than university work, she also spends her time doing translation, listening to podcasts and reading.

Su Tran is an undergraduate student studying Biochemistry at Boston University. I was born in Vietnam and immigrated to the US when I was six years old. Growing up in an immigrant family surrounded by others like us, I admired the resilience and strength in the adults around. I recognizes that using and understanding English is a very advantageous skill to have, and loves that GPA’s ESOL program is providing an accessible way for everyone to learn the language. I hope to be supportive and encouraging during my time at GPA so that the students are more confident and comfortable with English.

Hermelinda Zegarra is from Chaclacayo, Peru. After my daughter enrolled college I decide to became a volunteer at Gardner pilot academy ESOL program. I was a student years ago in this program. I really enjoy assisting the teacher and students in class and seeing how the students after a long day of hard work come to classes eager to learn English. My hobbies included embroidering, knitting,cooking, and gardening.

Deborah Bluestein became an ESOL certified teacher in 2013. Her first encounter with the Gardner program was as a volunteer in 2013, then as a teacher of the Basic Beginner class in 2014. She considers herself a “multi-preneur,” someone who has launched numerous small businesses, the longest running being Bluestein Associates and Juiceboxartists Press and Writing Workshops. She jumped at the opportunity to teach Gardner’s first English for Immigrant Entrepreneurs class in 2019/2020 and has been inspired by the grit, gumption, ambition, and courage of her students as they grow and expand their businesses. In her spare time she writes historical fiction under the name of Dorah Blume, practices yoga to keep her head on straight, and loves walking around Boston.