Nantha Viswanathan, volunteer and facilities specialist for St. Cloud Area School District, came to the United States 35 years ago from Malaysia. As a child, he remembers playing soccer to pass the time. Growing into adulthood, however, his journey brought him to Minnesota to attend St. Cloud State University where he earned his degree in information technology (IT). It wasn’t long, though, before he shared his love of soccer through volunteering as a coach.
After several years as a volunteer coach for club soccer (including coaching his own son), Viswanathan began coaching for District 742. In 2016, he started full-time as a volunteer specialist for District 742 Community Education to help others give back to the community through volunteering.
“I coached for CMYSA (Central Minnesota Youth Soccer Association) and then created a new club called Granite City Soccer Club,” says Viswanathan. “I did that for five years and then in 2008, I started coaching soccer for Tech High School. It was the first time in Tech’s history they made it to state.”
The positive impact on students is at the heart of why Viswanathan loves his job as a volunteer specialist and coach. A lot of the volunteers he works with are people who tutor in the classroom or assist on field trips. They truly want to make a difference in children’s lives, just like him.
“I’m very excited with the job that I do with community ed,” says Viswanathan. “It’s very fulfilling and a great partnership with a lot of community members.”
Connecting the community to District 742 students is a big part of his job. With approximately 1,200 volunteers, he continually matches needs within the District to those volunteers from the community. He also works with several partnering organizations, including St. Cloud State University, the College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University and Junior Achievement. He wants to ensure that students have a mentor, a confidant or just someone to rely on.
“Coming from a foreign country, I’ve seen changes [from] when I came in ’83 and the changes … now,” says Viswanathan. “We have a lot of diversity in St. Cloud. I feel [it’s important] that the community comes together … It’s very important that we help each other out.”
One way Viswanathan continues to encourage community is through his love of soccer. He still volunteers as a club soccer coach in his spare time.
“I can watch soccer 365 days a year,” laughs Viswanathan. “It’s my passion. I can go to the field, even if I don’t know anyone on the field, I can pull a chair up and just watch kids play. I do that from young ages [on up]. I really love watching young kids play. They put so much heart and soul into it. Even when they don’t know what scoring is, it’s for fun. They have a great time playing the game even though they are picking dandelions in the field or chasing a butterfly. The point is … I really enjoy it. It’s just the spirit of the game. It’s a world sport.”
Viswanathan has three granddaughters who are his pride and joy. And they all were given a soccer ball before they could walk! His dream is to coach his granddaughters the way he’s coached his own kids and so many other students with the hope to instill that sense of community and volunteerism in the next generation.
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