![\"\"](\"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Josh-Russo-and-Student-MAIN.jpg\")
<\/a>Joshua Russo, a school psychology graduate student at UToledo, works with students at Hawkins STEMM Academy in Toledo to provide intervention support for those who are significantly below grade level in reading. Russo lives in Columbus and makes the weekly commute.<\/p><\/div>\n
For Russo, seeing the students’ progress and continuing to build the relationship he has with them has been the most rewarding experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing in Columbus, it’s a little bit more challenging for me, but I’ve gotten to know my two kids so well,\u201d he said. \u201cI don’t find the commute troubling because I am more than happy to spend time with them and see them develop, grow and learn how to read. We have fun together; they seem to really enjoy it too because it makes learning and reading fun for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
His dedication to his students stems from his own experiences growing up.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t the best student when I was a younger kid,\u201d Russo said. \u201cI think that\u2019s why I\u2019m able to relate to them so much. I want to help kids because I want to be who I needed when I was their age.\u201d<\/p>\n
Feedback from teachers and students shows that Russo is making an impact. One of his students said they view school differently while he is there.<\/p>\n
\u201cJosh makes learning fun,\u201d they said. \u201cI like everything about him.\u201d<\/p>\n
The opportunity to get out of the classroom and make a difference in kids’ lives while still in school is something Russo relishes.<\/p>\n
\u201cUs being there and doing this kind of stuff in our classes and outside of our classes, it’s a pretty cool thing,\u201d Russo said.<\/p>\n
From the moment he stepped on campus, Russo said he knew UToledo was the right choice.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Russo and his two nephews.<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cI applied to a few different places and my interview day at Toledo was actually what sold me on it, even though it was a bit of a commute,\u201d he said. \u201cI got along with the staff really well; I seemed to click with them and what they are specializing in was of great interest to me as well, so that was the thing that sealed the deal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Jennifer Reynolds, chair of the Department of Human Health Services, has worked with Russo in his three semesters at UToledo.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe doesn\u2019t see this as a job,\u201d Reynolds said. \u201cHe sees working with these elementary students as an opportunity to help children learn to read, to be a role model, and to be a constant person in their lives. I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if Josh moved into a position where he could have an impact on more students and families. I am looking forward to watching him grow.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 29-year-old has a wealth of experiences that have shaped the way he approaches his work. He spent five and a half years in the U.S Marine Corps, where he said he grew up quickly and hammered discipline into his lifestyle.<\/p>\n
He also achieved an associate of arts degree with the plan of going into art therapy, as he grew up with a passion for drawing and painting. He ultimately changed that path to study psychology for his undergraduate degree at Ohio State University.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve lived three different lives already, which all led me here,\u201d Russo said. \u201cI have come to understand that one of my biggest life skillsets is working with kids and kids with disabilities. I just want to help them feel better and belong. I relate and get along with them very well and I wanted to find a field that I could do that on a larger scale.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his spare time, Russo coaches wrestling at a non-profit in Columbus, which he plans to continue to do so as long as he physically can.<\/p>\n
Upon completing his master’s degree, Russo is considering a career as a school psychologist as well as continuing his education and pursuing a Ph.D.<\/p>\n
For now, however, he said his focus is on his students, and making sure he can do what he can to help them achieve their best.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis program specifically is going to be monumental to changing these kids’ lives and setting them up for success when they are adults or when they leave school,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is just based off the simple fact that the studies that have been showing a student’s ability to read by third grade and how successful that leads to them be in their actual lives.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For Columbus resident Joshua Russo, his weekly commute is worth the effort to be part of their progress.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":891,"featured_media":79321,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[50,61,1,71,7],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79320"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/891"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79320"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79320\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":79323,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79320\/revisions\/79323"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79321"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a>