Meet Lisa Van Dyke – When a Volunteer is MUCH more

You never know what an ad on VolunteerMatch will bring.  For those who don’t know the organization (www.volunteermatch.org), it’s a nonprofit dedicated to matching nonprofits with willing volunteers.   Through VolunteerMatch, NTS has worked with over 50 volunteers, all people who have donated their time and talents to help our school succeed.

In early 2021, NTS desperately needed a book illustrator for our new English As A Second Language (ESL) books.  We were searching for someone able to create a visual style our Kenyan students could relate to.  This was particularly tricky.  Most volunteers through the site come from the US and Europe and aren’t familiar with Kenya.  Also, we have 12 books, which meant a LOT of illustrations!

I’ll never forget the first time I met Lisa, which was by email.  She wrote a beautiful email, presenting herself modestly as a book illustrator who had left the workforce and was dedicating her time to helping nonprofits through her art skills.  She was so professional – submitting a
portfolio and showing, through the variety of her work, that she was willing to learn anything.

But what really struck me was how Lisa had a fresh perspective with every project. Lisa is, by choice, a whimsical designer.  I was fascinated by how her view shifted with each project, maintaining a beautiful sense of whimsy and fun.  Somehow, Lisa is able to mold her style to fit the words and stories she is illustrating.  

Over the almost two years we’ve worked together, Lisa has brought the characters in our ESL books to life.  We’ve begun to see them as real people in ways we never imagined possible as we created the texts. ESL text can often be dry, but as new illustrations arrive, they always lead me to reread the book and find the nuances that Lisa has revealed.

So, I started tell you about a volunteer.  But really, Lisa is much more.  She is an essential member of the NTS team.  When we think of NTS staff, Lisa is always among us.

Please join everyone at NTS by thanking and celebrating Lisa Van Dyke whose work and presence is a grand part of making NTS so much more, every day.