Sometimes God brings exactly the right person at exactly the right time — and then gives them room to do the thing they were uniquely prepared to do.
For Crosslines Community Outreach, one of those people is Stephanie Candie, our Math Buddy Program Specialist.
Stephanie is a career educator who spent decades working in public education. Throughout those years, she developed a deep passion for children who struggle with math — particularly those at risk of falling further and further behind their peers.
She saw what worked. She saw what didn’t. And over years of working with students, Stephanie began developing ideas about how to make math education more approachable, simplifying the process to help teachers (and now volunteers) know where to start and where to go next.
When Stephanie joined Crosslines, she finally had an opportunity to put those decades of experience together.
This week, that dream became a reality.
Stephanie completed a comprehensive new Math Buddy curriculum, a progression of understanding — affectionately known around here as “the notebook” — designed to equip our volunteer Math Buddies with practical, engaging methods to help math come alive for the students they serve.
And when she unveiled it at our recent volunteer training, the response was extraordinary.
Longtime volunteer and retired educator Kathy Travers, shared:
“It’s amazing that a former teacher of 34 years can still learn exciting methods to make math come alive for our kiddos. Thanks to Stephanie for making her dream come true and a big thanks to Diana also. You two rock!”
Dr. Killian, a retired Missouri State University math education professor, also praised the training and the effectiveness of the strategies Stephanie has employed.
Think about that for a moment.
After decades devoted to education, Stephanie created something that is helping experienced teachers and volunteers see new possibilities for reaching children who struggle with math.
But perhaps the most remarkable thing about Stephanie isn’t what she knows.
It’s what she has overcome.
Stephanie’s journey has included significant personal hardship and loss. As a black woman in math education, she has also experienced what it means to fight to have her voice, expertise and abilities taken seriously. Through it all, she points to her faith in Jesus Christ as the source of the resilience that has carried her through circumstances that could easily have defeated her.
Instead, those experiences have deepened her compassion and strengthened her determination to make sure children — especially those who may be struggling or overlooked — have someone in their corner.
That’s exactly what our Math Buddy Program is about.
One caring adult. One student. One hour at a time.
And now, thanks to Stephanie’s experience, creativity and determination, our volunteers are better equipped than ever to help children discover something they may not yet believe:
“I can do math.”
We talk often at Crosslines about the privilege of serving our neighbors. But we are also incredibly blessed by the people God brings through our doors to serve alongside us.
Stephanie is one of those people.
And somewhere in a classroom this year, a child who once believed they simply weren’t “good at math” may begin to believe something different because Stephanie spent decades preparing for this moment.
We are blessed beyond measure that God brought her to Crosslines!
Both the Math and Reading Buddy Programs are in need of volunteers – sign up today at: crosslines.org/volunteer.