Caroline Purnell has been a GrandPal for the past two years. She is retired from teaching French, Spanish, and ESL for adults, and embodies a deep passion for travel and multiculturalism.

“The half of the biggest thrill for me is watching the kindergartners come into the library for the first time. They are new to kindergarten and now are facing a room full of grandparent-type adults who will be their readers for the year. The other half of my personal thrill is seeing how far the children have come at the end of the year. They are no longer shy and reticent, but engaged and excited to have bonded with their GrandPal. I should say there is another component to my thrill: Seeing my kindergartner, now in first grade, giving me a big hug in the hallway! To me, that’s going full circle, watching these unsure kindergartners develop confidence and reading skills while giving us GrandPals such joy and happiness.”