Through the course of learning and teaching others, our tutors have been inspired….Here’s what they have said:

Rishi’s Reflection

121 Reach has provided me with responsibility and meaning in life. Before I joined 121 Reach, I didn’t know the value of reciprocity. By joining 121 reach, my life feels complete and full of value because when I look in to the eyes of my tutee I know my time tutoring him will help him for the rest of his life. 121 Reach is an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life.  

-Rishi Rachavelpula

A Tutor’s Testimony

I’m really glad that I’ve been given the experience to tutor middle school students. My two tutees, Matthew and Rachel, are both really smart but sweet at the same time. Both kids work hard at school but they also have their own personalities. Rachel is a sweet girl who always has a smile on her face. We’ve already had so many fun times joking about anything and everything: boys, school, friends, etc. Matthew, quick-witted and smart, always has something funny yet surprising to say. With his typical middle-school boy behavior, I may have to keep him in line sometimes but we still have fun along the way. We’ve become more than just tutor and tutee—I think that we’ve all become friends as well. Every week, we catch up on things that are new in their lives but also with their school work. No doubt there’s lots of laughter, jokes, and fun times while we work. Hopefully, I’ve made school something they can look forward to instead of just an obligation.  It’s so exciting to see younger kids succeed and I’m so glad that I can help them along the way.

-Anonymous

“My Tutoring Journey” by Jaime Cheung

I’m very glad I joined 121Reach and I don’t regret this decision at all! After a few tutoring sessions with my tutee, Ariana, I felt that I had connected with her through all the bonding time we were spending together. It was very fulfilling to see that I was helping a child to understand and learn the value and importance of education. I could see that my tutee was improving on her schoolwork, not only because I was tutoring her, but because of the determination I was giving her to push her to exceed farther. In addition to schoolwork, we talk about everything and she fills me in on the events in her life. That gives me a satisfactory feeling that she asks me for advice, which means she looks up to me for guidance as a role model. I feel that I am truly making a difference on Ariana’s life and I will continue to be a proud tutor of this organization!

-Jaime Cheung

Reflections from Christy Kim

Oh, the joy of being able to leave an impression on the lives of junior high school students! This is what we tutors get to experiencehere at 121Reach program. Being able to interact with my tutees issimply delightful! Everybody here is exuberant and full of ambition.The often silent room of the school library is transformed into asanctuary of education filled with smiles and laughter. Here, it isnot only the tutors that impact the lives of tutees. Tutees alsoimpact tutors in an unimaginable way! When I often have stressful daysat school, my tutee always somehow manages to cheer me up with heryouthful charm. While I may be providing help in academics, my tuteeis able to help me on an entirely different level that cannot beexpressed in words alone. This is something that one is only able toexperience here at 121Reach. Being part of the 121Reach program hasbeen one of the most invigorating experiences of my high school life.If I were to name one experience that I would miss dearly when Igraduate, I would most definitely say tutoring. I can speak for all ofthe tutors and tutees that we truly enjoy being part of 121Reach!

-Christy Kim

“A Year with Christine” by Taylor Kelly

121 reach tutoring program is pretty much the bomb! When I first started tutoring with the program I was only doing it for the community service hours, and not at all looking forward to being with a middle school kid every Thursday for an hour and a half. But pretty soon I actually began to look forward to Thursdays. I found myself counting the days down until the next time I got to get together with Christine and see what else she needed help with. I actually enjoyed helping her do her own homework more than I enjoyed my own work. I loved the look on her face when she finally was able to grasp a concept. Christine is a very hard worker; I loved seeing how she would struggle with a concept, yet continue to work at the topic until she fully understood the idea. These moments were my favourite moments. Her face would simply glow with happiness. I was touched by Christine during the 121 Reach tutoring program. I know she gained from the time spent with me, but I feel that I gained also, possibly more than Christine. 121 Reach taught me how to be comfortable with kids I do not know too well, how to be happy not only when I do things well, but when other people do things well, and to appreciate the general idea of helping someone with something when they personally need assistance. I greatly enjoyed the 121 Reach and am fully looking forward to another year with Christine.

-Taylor Kelly

 

Growing Up Together

I have known my tutee for nine years now. We live next door and we grew up together. As she is a few years younger than me, I have always thought of her as my little sister. At tutoring I connected with her on a whole new level. I understand her more and I learn about her everyday. I can relate to her struggles and help her through. We work on homework and study for tests and quizes. We learn about each other and improve in school. Thanks 121 reach!

-Stephanie Miller

“Tutoring” by Kaanan Talati

Eye-opening and life-changingare two words that can describe how tutoring has affected me. I have done 40+ hours of tutoring. Through 121Reach I have encountered a numerous amount of personalities. There are kids who really want to succeed and do well and then there are the other students who are forced into the room to learn. I have learned through all this experience that not everyone strives to become the best and be at the beginning of the game. Everyone has different ambitions. I have learned to respect that.

Tutoring makes me feel that I can make a difference. I know it’s a small one but I help change kids’ lives. I help make the difference of whether a student will pass or fail, and I’m glad that by helping these kids learn it gives them motivation to work and then they go out into the world and make there own differences. It’s an awesome feeling!

-Kaanan Talati

A Reflection by Susmita Gorai

When I joined the 121 Reach Team during second semester, I was a little nervous. I was not sure whether I would get along nicely with my tutee and whether or not I would succeed in helping her to the best of my ability. However, my fellow tutor friends assured me the experience would be entertaining and I trudged along with them and into the Taylor Road Middle School campus.

When I first entered Taylor Road, I felt a rush of emotions shine over me. It was the same hallway that I had last entered three years ago. I passed by familiar classrooms full of teachers teaching while students watched attentively.

As the final bell rung, I grew a little bit more nervous. I would meet my tutee in a matter of minutes. Fan Fan, the president of 121 Reach, assigned me to tutor in the subject of Language Arts. When a girl requested assistance in Advanced Language Arts, I knew I had found my tutee. I let my tutee decide where to sit down. She was initially shy so we sat down next to another tutor-tutee pair that also happened to include one of my fellow tutor friends.

After some short introductions, we began. I remember the first thing I tutored Lara in was some essay structure development. I tried my best to answer Lara’s questions and concerns and I immediately noticed how responsive she was towards my comments. This made me relax immediately. I knew right then we would get along just fine.

As time passed and tutoring progressed, I noticed shy Lara had become talkative Lara. We gradually got to know each other better and I gradually began to take better notice of her strengths and areas of improvement. Each session started beginning with miniature conversations on our weekends instead of the usual rushed “hellos” we muttered earlier.

I think the most interesting memory so far from tutoring has been the day I gave Lara some important advice on managing stress. I had noticed that Lara had appeared a little stressed out as she attended our tutoring sessions. I found out she had numerous extracurricular activities that were apparently taking up too much time. I explained to Lara that a balance of activities and academics were necessary as I was in high school and I knew what it was like when stress is unhealthy. Lara appeared to understand my advice well and this made me happy. I felt on that one day that I had made a big difference on someone’s life. It made me feel like a hero.

All I can say is that tutoring has definitely changed my outlook on life. I have gained greater enthusiasm in teaching others as well as learning from them. I give credit to 121 Reach for giving me this amazing opportunity. I cannot wait to continue tutoring next year!

-Susmita Gorai

A Reflection from Lydia Atangcho…

When I was approached by Fan Fan with an opportunity to join her tutoring club, I was enthralled by the chance to be part of what was then named TuTR Club (Tutor Taylor Road Club). What started out as Fan’s humble yet ambitious club has blossomed into a remarkable non-profit organization marked by a vast array of learning, academic and beyond. 121Reach has become a haven for the growth and development of minds and I am honored to have been a witness to this.

The relationships exhibited between the tutees and tutors have yielded a learning environment in which both benefit from each other. While the tutors are providing their tutees with help in their subjects and study skills, the tutees are likewise and often unknowingly showing the tutors new ways of understanding concepts and explaining them. In addition, it always helps to brush up on those middle school subjects we have forgotten.

In additon to the learning experiences provided by 121Reach, the organization has also shown me the importance of responsibility and accountability. I have realized the rewards that team work can bring. Since each tutor has been given a designated tutee, it is imperative that he/she is ready to take on the task of catering to the needs of the tutee, may it be help with a math problem or advice on how to cope with the rigorous demands of school as a whole. 121Reach has brought out that desire in high school students to take on this challenge and use it to their benefit by learning from it. As an officer of the organization, naturally, accountability is key. While often times in a teenager’s life, one may get away with not performing an assigned task, 121Reach has made me recognize the impragmatism of shrugging away responsiblitlies. If I do, I am letting others down, and now that the eager minds of middle school students are involved, accountability is THAT much more important.

My involvement in 121Reach has been a rewarding journey dotted with joyous successes and trying situations. Regardless of the ups and downs, 121Reach has turned out to be an incredible and highly rewarding orgnization in which tutors and tutees delve into an experience bound to leave them changed for the better.

– Lydia Atangcho

Unforgettable

My experience at 121 Reach has been unforgettable. I never thought that tutoring would be so much fun. All of the social events we have, including game days, allow us as tutors to bond with our tutees and discover things we have in common in order for us to develop more of a friendship. I have always had an interest in teaching, since I was a little girl. Although that is not the career I will be pursuing in the future, 121 has given me the opportunity to discover my potential in that area and capture the interest that has grown in me with this experience. Having such a bright and wonderful tutee makes it even easier to like doing what I do, and give back to my community in an enjoyable way. Thank you 121 Reach!

–Bayan Ahmad

A Great Experience!

Tutoring with 121 reach has been a great experience for me. I have had two tutees in the past two years, and I have enjoyed tutoring both of them. After a day of tutoring, I personally have a feeling of accomplishment that a helped a student grasp the concepts that they learned in school, and not just enough to pass the next text. Another aspect of 121 reach that I really enjoy is that I got to know my tutees. Just while working with them I began to know them and their personality. Tutor Treats one of the great ways 121 reach tutors get to know their tutees. Whenever I bring treats for my tutees, I am glad to see their reaction to the treats and that appreciate my tutoring. After two years of tutoring with 121 reach I have found it very rewarding to the point at which I would tutor even if I did not get hours.

–Adil Khan

Friends

Thank you 121Reach! 121Reach is an AMAZING program that has provided me with a great way to give back to the community. I have absolutely LOVED helping out with my tutee, Georgie. While we may have started off pretty rough, after a semester of being tutor and tutee, I TRULY believe that we have become GREAT friends. It has been a great pleasure being friends with him. He is a great kid whom I have enormous respect for. I’m just glad for a chance to make a difference in this community by helping someone. No matter what happens in the future, there is one thing that is certain. I will always have a FRIEND in Georgie.

–Alex Yu