Students of the Month – August 2015
Region 3 – Westside
– Jonathan, 12th grade. Jonathan is 17 years old and about to enter his senior year of high school. From the first time I met him, I saw that he was a very sensitive and intelligent young man. Although he feels his talents are in science and engineering, I found that he has a deep interest in people, cultures and philosophical questions. Although we’re focusing on writing, often we end up having long conversations about the issues behind the essays. He’s finding it easier to express his thoughts and feelings, which is the foundation for being a good writer. I’m also inspired by some of his pursuits, from anime to studying Japanese. I always look forward to my time with him.
Debra Kaufman, Tutor
Region 4 – South Bay, Long Beach
– Secrete, 5th grade . I have been blown away this past month by Secrete’s many achievements. Her focus and determination granted her an “A” on her last math test, missing only two questions. She memorized all fifty United States states by location for her geography test (unbelievable!). And last month I had the privilege of watching her graduate from elementary school. I am so proud of this little scholar and cannot wait to see how she will amaze me next. Secrete is looking forward to fun times this summer playing four square, Connect Four, and catching up on some summer reading with her favorite author, Roald Dahl.
Lisa Utsinger, Tutor
Region 5 – Hollywood, Silver Lake, Highland Park
– Lazara, 1st grade. I’ve been honored to see Lazara accomplish so much since I started tutoring her. When we began tutoring, she told me that her goals were to listen better and improve in math and English. However, at the beginning of our first session, she also told me she had reservations about tutoring with a “boy tutor”. Yet, by the end of the academic year, her teacher and mother were happy to inform me that she became one of the top in her class at math, and improved greatly in reading and writing. I am so thankful that I was able to connect with Lazara. We both look forward to our sessions every week; I can’t wait to see Lazara’s continued success!
Tyler Edmonston, Tutor
Region 6 – Inland Empire
– Matthew, 9th grade. Matthew is a freshman who loves basketball. He loves to watch, play, and talk about basketball at any given time. As a Team LeBron fan, he looks up to role models like this phenomenal basketball star. However, for Matthew, academic work did not come as easily as shooting balls. He severely struggled in many areas such as reading, writing, and math. Considering his age, this was a big concern for tutors and staff. Therefore, School On Wheels and the facility staff worked together to create appropriate academic plans for Matthew. As a result, Matthew’s reading and math have improved noticeably. Not only that, his self-esteem grew as he gained confidence in academia. Just like any teenager undergoing puberty, Matthew has his moments. On some days he is beyond moody. But he is loving and affable when he feels safe and secure. That is why the staff and SOW truly care for Matthew and are pleased with his accomplishments. We believe that, with his hard work and consistent efforts, Matthew will be able to live his dream to become a U.S. Marshall.
Song Jeong, Tutor
Region 7 – San Fernando Valley
– Arman, 5th Grade. Arman is a spunky, soon to be, 6th grader with an affinity for fast cars and any music by “The Weeknd.” He loves In N Out but hates his burger or fries “animal style.” He loves to play basketball at recess and wants to be a cop when he grows up. Arman, like most eleven year old boys, has a difficult time staying focused. So, between reducing fractions to simplest form and reading about how hot air balloons are able to rise, we discuss skateboards and the adventures he had the previous weekend with his “cool” older cousins. When reading is on the agenda, it doesn’t go over well… it goes over better when I let him use my iPhone to ask Siri to define words we come across that he doesn’t know. To get to know Arman and help him develop strategies to build up his confidence and learn some self-discipline has been a challenge, but it’s one that Arman has made serious strides toward. Arman doesn’t LOVE to read yet… but each week we get to work on it. And with that our journey continues…
Laura Hine, Tutor
Region 12 – North Orange County
– Jeshua, 1st grade. Every Friday, when I am getting ready to tutor Jeshua, I have to be ready to face the greatest Pokemon master of them all. With his deck ready for me as soon as I get to the door, we start off our tutoring session with a quick Pokemon battle. As Jeshua unleashes his mighty Thundurus at me, we practice reading the attack moves and calculating how much damage a Pokemon takes. Besides his awesome skills as a Pokemon trainer, Jeshua is also a great reader and problem solver. From my one year of tutoring him, Jeshua has advanced from learning basic sight words to being able to read short stories with ease (even if he prefers math over reading).
Even though I am the one tutoring him, Jeshua has also taught me lessons as well. His ever-optimistic attitude makes me smile, and his confidence in his own skills has taught me to be confident as well. Thank you, Jeshua, for allowing me to tutor you. It’s been a great and rewarding ride so far.
Yuri Ceriale, Tutor
Online Tutoring
– Ke’Juan, 7th Grade. Ke’Juan’s passion for math and science has fueled his learning and helped him achieve tremendous success. Since tutoring Ke’Juan, I’ve seen not only his learning improve but also his mentality and approach towards new challenges. He has demonstrated this, for example, in distributing and isolating variables. Also, despite his heavy involvement in basketball camp and activities during the summer, Ke’Juan put his academics ahead of other commitments and organized his schedule so that he could attend all of his online tutoring sessions with me every week. In addition, Ke’Juan’s passion and curiosity about the brain has been extremely welcoming; we have spent our time learning about growth mindset and the importance of knowing that the brain is a malleable organ that can continue to grow.
Overall, Ke’Juan’s approach to learning, his curiosity, patience, and persistence will only continue to help him achieve greater goals in life. It has been an honor and pleasure to tutor Ke’Juan and to watch him develop into a highly motivated student and lifelong learner!
Sagar Buttan, Online Tutor