For some students, the weekend is used for catching up on homework or sleep, but for sophomore Riley Wheaton, it is a chance to connect with younger students and assist them in their learning process.

Wheaton works at the Minneapolis Institute for Talented Youth, or MITY, where he spends Saturdays with younger students who are learning about science.

“MITY is a chance for people to come in and learn some things they wouldn’t learn during the school week in a really fun and hands-on way,” Wheaton said. MITY has many different divisions, including Your Extraordinary Saturdays, a program for elementary school students.

“YES pulls kids from all over the Twin Cities and a number of people outside of the Twin Cities,” he said. Wheaton got the offer to work for the YES program unexpectedly but he was really excited about the opportunity.

He sums up his job offer as abrupt but welcomed. “My mom was checking my phone and she said, ‘Riley, do you want a job?’ and I said, ‘Sure. What is it?’ She said, ‘Do you remember your old preschool teacher Ms. Matthews? Well, she’s the coordinator for YES, that program you did when you were little, so if you want to work there you are more than welcome to.’”

“The most effective way to describe my position at MITY would be as a teaching assistant,” Wheaton said. “Teaching is a tough job so if I can make the teacher’s life any easier, then that’s largely my position there.”

Though Wheaton does not actually teach any classes, his role as an assistant is vital to the students’ learning process and the teacher’s sanity. “My job is to go in to help set up and to help the kids if they are having trouble staying focused or staying quiet,” Wheaton said.

By working at YES, Wheaton has had an opportunity to personally connect with the students there, especially since he went through the YES program himself.

“There was a kid I had first session who was having a lot trouble getting up the courage to interact with the others so I had to try to help him to be willing to get involved,” Wheaton said. “In the end it was just about me taking this kid out in the hallway and saying, ‘Being in a new place can be really scary but if you give the others a chance they can be really welcoming.’”

Wheaton plans to continue working at MITY for as long as he can. “I’ve recently been offered a position at the next step up from YES at ExplorSchool, which is the middle school version of YES,” Wheaton said.

MITY is a diverse institute with many different courses for multiple ages. After YES and ExplorSchool, MITY offers the EYM (Expand Your Mind) program for high school students which Wheaton attends. The YES and ExplorSchool programs both take place on St. Paul Academy and Summit School campuses and EYM is held at Macalester College in St. Paul.

“As long as I can keep helping out then I will continue to do it because it’s pretty great,” Wheaton said. “I really enjoy the kids and that’s the biggest thing.” Working at MITY is a very rewarding experience for Wheaton. Besides being paid for the job, Wheaton gets to interact with young students and relive his own experiences at YES.