Videos Tell 1,000 Words
Prefer words? Read the stories of some of our Tutor Fellows below.
"In my time as an Elevate Tutor, I loved going through the journey with a student from the time where the student was unsure about the math work at hand all the way through seeing the student think on his or her own through a problem with confidence. My job was not to give the student the answers, but to be a guide through the journey! For many students, they were very behind in their class, and it was not a matter of answering the questions on a spreadsheet. It took time to build rapport, understand where the student was and how to connect with the student to take baby steps towards progress."
“I enjoyed being able to not only tutor but really mentor some of the students I met. In many of the schools I would tutor at, there were a lot of kids who enjoyed playing soccer. They found comfort in talking about soccer topics prior [to] their tutoring sessions with me. I spoke to them about how some of them could also use soccer to pay for their academics in the future. I loved showing them that side to academics and what kind of doors it could open to them in the future.”
Alex Flores
“I really enjoyed working alongside like-minded students and peers. This gave me the opportunity to connect with many diverse individuals from my community and to continue keeping in touch with these individuals as we each delved into our professional careers. One key takeaway [from my time at Elevate] is the mindset tools and techniques I have developed as well as my ability to work with others. Both of these have had a positive impact on my future goals and successes.”
Ashwinder Singh
Alejandra Pacheco
"Prior to Elevate, I knew very little about growth mindset and productive failure. I grew up being a perfectionist myself and I would freak out if I made any mistakes. Upon learning about growth mindset vs. fixed mindset, it made me realize that we ourselves become our biggest roadblock when we tell ourselves we can’t do something if we are not able to achieve on the first try. We have to be persistent and keep practicing at what we want to do in order to master the skill. Now as an adult and as a parent, I always encourage my toddler to try and I use encouraging words such as 'wow you worked so hard at that, you should be so proud of your effort.'"
Christina Guzman
“Elevate’s training has tremendously made a huge impact in the way I tutor youths of all ages by helping me build a stronger foundation as an educator. No matter the age or grade level of the student, Elevate’s trainings can be easily applied and always provides incremental improvements. I work with youths now, who are experiencing homelessness, and have had significant traumatic events that may have impacted their education in some way. When I work with them one on one, I still apply what Bob has taught my cohort during our trainings, and it makes a difference. I’ve collected grades over the course of the time the children and their families stay in our shelter, and their grades have significantly improved."
Claire Evangelista
“Being part of a supportive community such as Elevate Tutoring was really rewarding for me throughout my college journey. I learned a great deal and enjoyed helping young students who were struggling academically while supporting them in any way that I could."
Cristal Hernandez
"I learned that different students have different needs and being a good tutor does not imply having all the answers but being willing to learn and work together to find the answers. This helped me and my tutees learn the importance of productive failure. Do not give up on those students that might seem that they don’t want any help. Sometimes, all they need is someone to approach them and let them know that they are there to help. It is ok to tell them you struggle sometimes too but that you want to figure it out. Keep in mind the importance of productive failure and that there are different styles of learning."
“One of the biggest takeaways I've had from my time as a tutor was being mindful to apply the Elevate philosophy equally to myself as I did to others. Prior to becoming an Elevate Tutor, I would feel as though I was wasting time if I made mistakes—that mistakes weren't worth making. I have learned that this simply isn't true, and this is something we try to emphasize to our tutees. You cannot learn without making mistakes."
Isaiah Dolce
“The most enjoyable aspect about working as an Elevate Tutor for me was the classroom impact we had in bridging the knowledge gap between different students. Classroom tutoring provided the teacher with extra tools around the classroom and allowed us to make a meaningful impact during learning as compared to after school tutoring. The trainings were also filled with tutoring knowledge that I still carry with me to this day such as productive failure."
Mauricio Alvarado
Elsa Perez
"Elevate Tutoring focuses on giving students the opportunity to excel in their academic endeavors while at the same time giving back to the community. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been one of the first cohorts at Elevate Tutoring because the work we did truly made a difference in the lives of students and our training shaped us into becoming inspiring leaders, mentors and role models. Keep asking questions and never stop learning! "
Patty Medina
“Elevate trained and helped me to develop a growth mindset. I was struggling with some of my classes, but even with my failures, I still learned to see it as growth and learning. The failures did not stop me from achieving my goals. I learned to be resilient during my time in college. I carry everything that I learned now as I move [forward] in my career. Being an Elevate tutor gives you an opportunity to have an influence and big impact on the students in education and career."
Ronnel Fetalvo
“Aside from the lasting memories and connections I've been able to make with my class of tutors, future tutors, and of course the Elevate board who made this all possible, what I enjoyed and appreciate most were the challenges that Elevate created. Elevate challenged me to think differently. To be daring enough to come out of my comfort zone and try new approaches. To voice my thoughts and ideas, but also listen and consider perspectives from other people, and to consistently improve. The beauty the challenges Elevate creates is that they aren't only tangible for the tutor, but they are the very same challenges created for the students being tutored. Encouraging them to think differently and to break from their comfort zone. To take risks and be comfortable with being uncertain or wrong because you're in an environment that will support you in the effort to try again and to consistently improve."