Students of the Month – September 2022

Jessica – Age 5

My student Jessica is always willing to learn. She is super excited to come to her sessions and meet her tutor and always has a smile on her face.

She does have trouble sitting still in one place, so we take breaks and stretch. This allows her to come back and focus, and she really enjoys it. Jessica hopes to become a teacher or a singer. She changes her mind often, but every time she mentions a new dream it is never something small.

Jessica is super appreciative and reminds me that we can all be more appreciative in life. I’ve learned that happiness is found in the smallest things.

– Julie Akau, Tutor

Ibrahim – Age 11

Ibrahim enjoys and has a strong passion for mathematics in particular, and has shown interest in advanced math for his age. When we first started going into advanced algebra, he was still a bit rusty and was unable to grasp the advanced algebra concepts with pre-algebra prerequisites, so we consistently reviewed them until he seemed prepared to continue on with the advanced. Sure enough, once we brought back the advanced algebra he was thriving.

Ibrahim is very self-motivated and eager to learn and is always on time for our tutoring sessions. He is inspired by a sibling who took an advanced math pathway throughout their education, and is looking to follow in their footsteps, but I feel as such a strong, dedicated, and bright student, that whatever journey he takes in his life, he will succeed.

I’ve learned that just because a student understands a topic at one point, it doesn’t mean that they’ve permanently mastered the concept. Working through this idea with Ibrahim, I’ve been able to apply it in my own life, reaffirming that the value of tutoring definitely goes both ways.

– Riday Bhatrai, Tutor

Kyle – Age 15

Kyle is a very special student. He is so passionate about creative arts such as poetry, watching movies, and reading books. He has been supportive of me by showing up and being interested in what I have to say each session. He is warm, intelligent, resilient, and I know that he is capable of anything he sets his mind to.

​When I first met Kyle, he said his biggest challenge was math. He was having trouble with starting a math problem due to some gaps in foundational knowledge, so we have been working on this together, breaking down challenging problems together and practicing foundations. It’s nice seeing his progress and the fact that he sometimes even enjoys doing math problems. He is definitely getting more confident in his abilities, which I love to see.

Kyle wants to continue writing poetry and says he sees it in his future. His kindness and warmth are contagious, and he has positively influenced my life. I have learned how important it is to acknowledge and award even the smallest achievements. Kyle has taught me the difference it can make when we openly acknowledge someone’s small achievements.

– Rabia Asif, Tutor

Yassein – Age 11

Yassein is special because of his love for his family. His younger twin sisters interrupt our sessions often and he always takes time to them with love and patience.

As an English Learner, Yassein struggles with grammar, specifically punctuation and capitalization. We work on this by starting each session with a simple writing exercise where he tells me about his day/week.

Yassein wants to be a professional soccer player, like his idol, Mohammed Salah, and has taught me a lot about soccer, specifically Manchester United and the world cup game of Egypt vs Senegal.

– Kimi Hendrick, Tutor