ROBERT YARBROUGH

Daily Point of Light # 3084 Nov 30, 2005

Robert Yarbrough balances being patient and kind while also being stern and lovable. He dedicates his life to tutoring high school and college level students in mathematics. About eleven years ago or so, he began his retirement by taking all the math classes that Brevard Community College had to offer. He did this so that he would be prepared to tutor students. He comes to the college twice a week for 4 hours each and then goes to the high school for 3 hours 3 to 4 times a week. He has done this for the past ten years and has even been offered pay for his services but refuses and adamantly claims his payment is seeing the students pass their classes and getting their degrees.

Yarbrough has known since he was 22 years old that he was going to help as many people as he could succeed in their life. You see, when Mr. Yarbrough was 22 and had been recently released from the Marine Corps, he decided to go to College to be an Electronic Engineer. While he went through high school he was more interested in playing football than reading or writing and he was not deterred from feeling that way. Unfortunately, he may not have received a quality education up to that point. To say that he had a disadvantage would be an understatement, but another college bound student who was 17 at the time, took him under his wing and tutored him right through school. Yarbrough graduated with his bachelors of Science degree in Electronic Engineering.

Yarbrough sees his volunteer time as repayment to the young man who took a minute out of his own life to help him. Now, he is taking the time to help others accomplish their goal of receiving a college degree. He is a very humble man and feels he gets a reward each day when he sees the students he works with succeeding in school and becoming successful contributors to society. He is one of the few people in his generation that have dedicated their retirement to helping others, and because of his work, Brevard County is seeing successful youth.


jaytennier