MANE} A Bright Light Shines at Madonna Mission Ever since her sophomore year of high school senior Sofia Crnkovich has been an active tutor and counselor at Madonna Mission. Over the winter of 2013, she drove to Rogers Park once or twice a week after school and volunteered her time to help the refugee ids, Sofia was a wonderful tutor and the kids responded to her bright personality, which was why she approached Madonna Mission founder, Lynn Gordon. Sofia noticed there were no reading programs for the boys over ‘the summer. She decided she would create and develop 2 program to keep the boys active and engaged with reading, The kicker? There wasno funding. no outline, and it had never been done before. But Lynn appreciated Sofas initiative and gave her the “green light! Sofa started planning, By discussing the program idea with a first-grade teacher, Sofa created ‘aten-lesson plan focused on a"book ofthe week'and hands-on activities that related to the topic for the boys aged six to ten. She staffed the program by recruiting her fiends to help tutor twice a week. For the older boys, Sofia found stories online that related to the chosen topic of the week, then changed the words to make them grammatically incorrect. The boys would then have to correct the erro. But why stop there? With most of the supplies coming from her ‘own pocket, Sofia wrote and applied for a grant from the Winnetka Congregational Church to help fund the Boy's Summer Learning in Action ‘program. Through Sofia’s enthusiasm and efforts, Madonna Mission was awarded the grant. Since this funding, the program has nearly doubled Inattendance, and the boys can now partake infield trips to further their learning, (n top of that, Sofa has also added Madonna Mission to New Trier High ‘Schoo'’s Social Service Board, Because ofthis, once every week, New Trier students take a bus after school to Madonna Mission to volunteer and, tutor refugee kids ‘Sofia has an amazing, generous heart and is ‘organized, efficient and responsible, She leads with herheartand hasthe ability toget things done” remarked Lynn Gordon, who Is immensely proud of Sofias successes with the program. Sofia has accomplished so much at such a young age. We can't wait to see what the future holds for this “bright light"! — Olivia Murphy, Staff Writer