I may not be the most perfect person in the world, here, but I feel like I'm an important person to these kids.

Let's try it.

Soon after Richard Shore retired, he walked into the Interdistrict Downtown School in Minneapolis and said he wanted to volunteer. That was nearly 5 years ago.

The most critical thing to do is to provide kids with assistance in learning and to hopefully enable them to experience satisfaction in learning, that's why I do it.

As an aid to teachers, Shore gives students that one-on-one support they may need to succeed. For these young minds, this special attention can go a long way. Many of these students have put aside their insecurities and are facing their schoolwork assignments head on.

Trying to enable them to appreciate that, you know, this isn't a major challenge they are gonna face in their life.

Shore's career included many years of work for both the US government and the educational system. He says he has traveled the world and now tries to bring the world to students. And that's the satisfaction this 78-year-old retiree gets everyday.

If you ask me how long I can turn to do this, as long as I can take that mile and a quarter walk to school on every morning and back.

Valerie Morris, CNN.