Shelby Dobransky, a senior at Lewiston High School, was recommended by a teacher to join the College for ME-Androscoggin effort and chatted recently with local kindergartners about the importance of literacy and college.

The pick made a lot of sense.

Through a program at LHS, Dobransky works with the first grade at Geiger Elementary. She’d like to go to college to be a teacher, either for first or second grade, maybe attending the University of Southern Maine.

“When I was younger I used to have a classroom in my bedroom and I used to teach stuffed animals,” she said.

Dobransky, who plays soccer and runs track, said good reading and school habits start young, kindergarten-young.

Name: Shelby Dobransky

Age: 17

Lives: Lewiston

What’s the best question you got from a kindergartner during the College for ME morning? None of them asked questions because I think they were nervous, but they said some cute things.

What was the cutest? The cutest thing someone said to me was that they wanted to be a school nurse. It was a young boy and he seemed so motivated and excited about it. Also when one student told us he wanted to be a skateboarder, then everyone else said the same thing. I also loved knowing that the children have such amazing dreams, such as becoming a doctor or vet. It was great to see!

How old were you when you knew you wanted to go to college? I was in seventh grade and I was getting very serious about academics and my goals.

What do you do to help out in the Geiger classroom? I pass out papers. I read to them. I help with penmanship. I help with specials (music, gym, etc.) and I interact one-on-one with the students. I’m also working on trying to promote a new program I’ve been trying to come up with called GEAR, “Get Excited About Reading.” This idea is in the process.

What’s the appeal of teaching first or second grade, versus, say 10th? I love the interaction of younger students. I love that they learn visually and more hands on, and I love being excited for them about learning new things. I think the younger years are when teachers can make the most impact, and that’s all I want to do, make an impact in a child’s life.

Last two books you read for school: “Lord of The Flies” and “The Great Gatsby”

Last two books you read for pleasure: “Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom and “Push” by Sapphire. I would recommend both of them because they were both very good novels.

Are you counting down the days to college, enjoying senior year to the fullest or a bit of both? I’m feeling a little bit of both. Senior year is supposed to be one of the best years of your life, but with the stress of school it can be hard sometimes. College applications, essays and worrying about getting into the school you want can be overwhelming as well. As much as I love being young, I am looking forward to starting a new chapter in my life and moving on from the high school chapter.

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