I belong to a community of learners. During my freshman year, I volunteered at a tutorial located within an undeveloped community in the Bronx. I spent countless hours creating lesson plans, assisting teachers, and helping in the tutorial’s daily operations. It was until I became a tutor at the center that I realized I could have a larger impact.
I began teaching a small class of 3rd graders on the weekends and tutoring middle school students during the weekdays. At first, I enjoyed tutoring. I felt a sense of accomplishment, knowing that my students left the tutorial, learning something new or reinforcing their knowledge of a topic they recently learned in school. With my students learning, test scores improving, and my manager complimenting me on my skills, I was excited for every new day. And then, I met Baidy, one of my students who was visibly struggling in every class. Seeing his grades during the enrollment process, I thought I was tasked with helping an unmotivated and careless student excel in school, a seemingly impossible task. We worked together for the first week, and I eventually realized that I was sorely wrong. Our conversations together revealed that he immigrated from Senegal two years prior with barely any knowledge of the English language. His appreciation for learning was muffled by the lack of quality education that he received as a child, and I had the opportunity to help him. We worked tirelessly to improve his English, and after several months, he now understood his schoolwork better and, subsequently, received better grades.
My experience as a tutor has made me more considerate about other’s backgrounds and environments. By learning other people’s stories, I hope to continue being proactive in my community while expanding my knowledge and understanding of others.