Hartung has a passion for people and teaching them how to read

Volunteering is something Hartung said he wanted to do to be able to give back to the community, and his passion lies in teaching people how to read.

“Right now, I do it three days a week for a couple hours each day. I’m working with English as a Second Language, so it’s with a very interesting group of individuals with unique stories,” he said.

Not only does Hartung teach people how to read, he works with those trying to become assimilated in American culture and are desirous of becoming U.S. citizens.

“I have a woman who is from Colombia who is learning English and then I have a young woman from Ecuador who is ready to take the final step to become a U.S. citizen,” he said.

Hartung teaches people about American customs, idioms and mannerisms, and he loves when his students succeed.

“My favorite part is the look on people’s faces when they understand a concept or when I see that light bulb go off in their head and they get it,” he said. “That’s just a thrill.”

Kim Payne, director of the Literacy Volunteers of Harrison County, has known Hartung for about eight years. She said he has participated in all the programs that Literacy Volunteers has to offer.

“He has tutored in all of our programs from Homework Help to pre-GED to ESL. Although he has a teaching degree and has been trained through Literacy West Virginia, John has a gift for tutoring,” she said.

His love of people really comes out when he is tutoring, and he tries his best to always encourage his students to reach their goals, Payne said. She added that Hartung is a people person who gets along with everyone.

“He enjoys meeting new people and visiting new places. He is one of our most popular ESL tutors. I think he enjoys ESL so much because he loves to travel,” she said.

Payne said Hartung is also a talented artist and loves to cook. She said he is one of several volunteers who has spearheaded the annual volunteer/student appreciation dinner.

Sam Mano, president of the board of the Literacy Volunteers, said he has known Hartung for eight years as well. He said he is very dedicated and a hard worker.

“John interacts very naturally with people, even the ones he has just met,” Mano said. “He really wants his students to learn and succeed. He’s very sincere in his efforts to help them.”

Hartung is passionate about literacy and he does anything that’s asked of him, he said. He is always accessible and is willing to go out of his way to help in any way possible.

Ed Snively has known Hartung for five years. He said Hartung is one of the hardest working tutors, and noted it’s a duty that Hartung takes seriously.

“Many may not know that John is very diligent in tutoring not only folks that need to learn or improve their reading skills, but also people from a different land and culture who want to learn the English language,” he said. “John does a great job in both respects.”

Staff writer Victoria L. Cann can be reached at (304) 626-1409 or vcann@theet.com. Follow me on Twitter @vcann_theet