Student Spotlight: Anania
This spotlight is written by Jordan, Executive Director.
I’m honored and excited to share this spotlight with everyone. Elementary and middle schoolers whom I met over six years ago are graduating from high school and planning for their next steps. It is incredibly humbling when a young person decides to share a special moment with you. One of our students decided to share a special moment with me. Now I want to share that moment with you.
If you attended our fundraiser last year, you may remember Anania. He spoke of us nagging him about our program expectations, the friendships he made at Tutoring Plus, and his passion for science and engineering. He has been part of Tutoring Plus since he was in 5th grade. When Anania first joined our program, he needed extra support with his writing. Over the years, he has been matched with three different tutors, each of whom shared his passion for STEM. Reflecting on those experiences, Anania shared, “It just felt perfect, the matchmaking. They made sure we could bond over shared interests.”
In addition to receiving tutoring and mentorship, he has participated in our BlocksCAD 3D Coding, I-Build Engineering, and Novartis CELL Experience programs. The Novartis CELL Experience, a Tutoring Plus field trip where students were exposed to real-world biology applications and lab practices, sparked a passion for the field. “They exposed you to what you actually do in the real world. That’s important so you have a sense of what you want to do and don’t want to do, which you might not always get in classes at school.” Beyond being a recipient of our programming, Anania has taken on a leadership role and gives back to our organization. He and his brother both volunteer as Program Assistants, ensuring our sessions run smoothly, and also serve as peer tutors for younger students.
Anania’s deep connection to our program is exemplified by a special moment in his high school career. At his school, students inducted into the National Honor Society get to nominate their most impactful educator to attend the ceremony with them. Anania chose me! I have overseen his program sites throughout his entire time with us.
On Tuesday, December 16, he called me as I was wrapping up at one of our program sites. He was accepted into MIT! His high school career has been filled with hard work, persistence, and intentionality to get to this moment. Numerous AP courses, leadership at CRLS's Robotics Club, summer programs at MIT, volunteering with Tutoring Plus – he did it all.
That phone call and celebrating that moment with him and his family immediately grounded me. After I calmed down, that is. So much nonprofit work happens behind screens or in meetings; being invited into a young person’s core memory like that is both humbling and deeply reaffirming. That phone call came during my last week as Director of Programs, a role that involves so much student-facing time. It felt especially prescient at a moment of transition. I’ve tried (and failed) to fully put words to that feeling. It’s a sudden mix of unbridled thrill, humility, and awe. Even if only for a moment, the stressors and anxieties fall to the side, and you’re reminded exactly what our students are capable of and why this work matters. His mother, who has enrolled Anania’s two younger siblings in our program, attributes his success, in part, to the support of Tutoring Plus. As she shared, “Tutoring Plus is a second home for my kids.”
Anania plans to study bioengineering at MIT. We know he is going to thrive. We are so, so proud of him.
