On a chilly Saturday morning, Brian arrives at the Way to Grow office with bright red sneakers, a flashing light-up watch, a smile just short of one front tooth, and an important question on his mind: “Did you know that the blue whale has the biggest heart in the world?”
Brian is a polite and inquisitive 6-year-old with a creative imagination and an impressive knack for organizing his toys. He’s quick to open up, sharing fun facts and stories of his love for reading, coloring, and dinosaurs: “All his toys are just dinosaurs,” says Brian’s dad, with a laugh. “If it’s not a dinosaur, he doesn’t want it.”
After moving to the United States, Brian’s parents received a referral to Way to Grow and were quickly paired up with their Family Educator, Juliet, who has been working with them ever since.
“We’ve known Juliet for a long time,” Brian’s dad, Bee, explains. “When we first came to the U.S., we didn’t know English—Juliet helped the kids learn. If there’s a word we don’t know, we ask her.”
Like Brian’s family, Juliet is fluent in Hmong. Through language-to-language support, Juliet has been both a mentor and a friend to Brian’s entire family. “I’ve been working with Brian since he was a baby,” says Juliet. “Brian is funny, he’s smart, and he’s very creative!”
As for Brian, he’s a bright student with big dreams for the future. “I like to learn about math,” says Brian. Brian’s dad has always been deeply involved in his children’s education, and math is no exception. With Bee’s encouragement, Brian proudly adds: “Yesterday, I counted to seven hundred and twenty!”
As Brian continues to explore a great big world of adventure, his parents will be by his side every step of the way. “It’s up to the kids,” his dad says. “We just support them. If they want to do something, they can do it.”