I believe serving one’s community can be both personal and powerful. The reward becomes personal when you’re doing something you love and you witness the powerful change you make by a mere act of kindness. I find myself more engaged in the act of giving when I am able to use my talents and knowledge. However, these talents do not always come naturally for everyone.
I was in 7th grade and had just failed three consecutive math quizzes concerning systems of equations and the algebra that makes them function together. Up until that time, I had always been at the top of my mathematics classes, and I was troubled when I found I couldn’t solve something that now I look at and consider simple. As I was struggling, I had to do something about the issues I was having understanding the information. My family was not going to pay extra money for a tutor to help me with the subject; my parents said it would be best if I figured out the problems by myself. However, I disagree. Some students learn subjects differently than others. Thus, I searched online for YouTube videos and found a channel called ProfRobBob that posted videos concerning different topics in mathematics. This changed my outlook on math. I was crushed I could not figure out the problems like the rest of my classmates, but this “free online tutor” sparked the interest back inside me to learn and improve. I found free tutoring via the YouTube channel and aced my next test, proving that some students may need more help to understand certain topics.
I have loved mathematics for as long as I can remember, and the free YouTube tutoring sessions allowed me to have interest in starting my own. I utilized that passion for good by co-founding a math tutoring program at our high school for elementary and middle school students. Believing that students should not have to pay substantial fees to receive help, the program was based on the premise of offering free tutoring to all students. We recruited more than 100 classmates to serve over 350 students in need of tutoring. I know my mindset improved when I received help, and I hope the same for all these children. It is extremely rewarding and gratifying to inspire others and witness a positive change in the process.
