Our Star Students

Abraham, 10th Grade. Abraham is very, very into basketball, from watching it to playing it; he enjoys being challenged in the game and as a student, which helps him stay motivated and work harder. He is exceptionally excited to go to college. He’s always motivated and powers through our time together regardless of how large his workload has been or how tired he is. It’s really a rarity to see a person of his age so diligent. It’s been a privilege working with him, there’s few better things than seeing a light bulb go off in his head or a laugh when he understands things.

Laura Dambuleff, Tutor

Isaac 5th grade. My friendship with Isaac has been one of the most rewarding relationships I’ve had the privilege to develop over my twenty-eight years. In the process of guiding him to a greater understanding of his academics, he pushes me to a greater understanding of myself. Isaac’s advanced conceptual comprehension combined with his innate drive and ambition to succeed, make our sessions so effortless that it almost feels like I’m cheating.

My role as tutor however, as I quickly learned, extends well beyond academics. It’s a title for which the job description is constantly evolving and demands something new in every session. As Isaac was born an individual who embodies all the characteristics to achieve, School on Wheels has enabled me to begin removing the road blocks of opportunity and environment on his path to success.

Vishnu Rammohan, Tutor

Sarah, 4th Grade. My name is Holly Dietrich, I’ve been tutoring Sarah for about 6 months and it’s always a special treat to see her each week! Sarah not only excels in math and reading but also singing. Recently, she auditioned for was accepted in to the honor choir of Santa Monica!

My favorite thing about Sarah is that she always ready to start her homework, asks wonderful questions and is ever willing to learn new concepts.

Sarah, who is rarely without a smile, is a special young girl and I am so proud of all her accomplishments this year.

Holly Dietrich, Tutor

Quinnisa, 11th Grade. Every time I see Quinnisa, she always has a smile on her face. She loves math, but her favorite subject is English. Quinnisa is a hard worker, and very smart. She catches on quickly and once she has learned something, she will hold onto that knowledge forever. Quinnisa’s favorite actor is Jim Carrey. She is always positive, and has a heart of gold. She is a shining example of a model student, awesome big sister, great daughter, and really cool all-around person. The only thing Quinnisa does not like, is when people are negative. We should all try and be more like her.

Nima Kharrazi, Tutor

Gabby, 4th Grade. Gabby was THRILLED to hear we would be Tutor/Student of the month! Working with Gabby has been such a rewarding experience and is the highlight of my week! I always look forward to tutoring Gabby because she is a hard worker and is eager to learn. I am so proud of her for how hard she works, especially in math, and it is such a joy to see how much she has improved and expanded her knowledge in all subjects. She is determined to figure out a problem and so am I, and so together, the two of us are unstoppable! I am always excited to see Gabby’s artwork and hear her read aloud because we like a lot of the same books (like “Hunger Games” and the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series). I am so happy to have met Gabby, she always brightens my day!

Alana Johnston, Tutor

Martha, 7th Grade. I’ve been tutoring Martha for one year now and have enjoyed every minute of it. Martha has been working especially hard this year to improve her grades in math, and has succeeded! She also has been successful throughout the year while working on various projects in her history and science classes. I am especially proud of Martha’s effort and her creativity. She is always willing to attempt new academic challenges and uses her inventiveness to design and bring life to her ideas. Congratulations, Martha, keep up the great work!

Jennie deForest, Tutor

Samara, 1st Grade. Each Tuesday afternoon I am greeted by a big smile and hug by Samara. She is the first grader I tutor. We have been together since the first of the school year and we enjoy our time together. I watch her as she does her school work with such diligence. When she is learning a new concept, I enjoy watching her master it. She puts such effort into tackling it. She never leaves a problem unanswered in her homework, never. She has such a can do attitude about her that has taught me a thing or two. Over the course of this school year, I have seen Samara become a strong reader and writer; I guess we make a good pair. I always look forward to our time together. Children are our future, invest some time and love into their lives!

Monica Hartmann, Tutor

Yubi, 4th grade. Yubi is a bright and delightful individual who truly shines whenever she learns something new. It’s true that a tutor’s primary responsibility is to teach school concepts to students, but Yubi gradually grew on me through her personality. It is ironic that, as a teacher, I have also been learning through my time with Yubi. Through my interactions with her, I have especially learned to become more patient and understanding, with both myself and Yubi. Besides being an incredible girl, Yubi deserves to be highlighted because she knows how to balance homework and fun, a quality that not many possess. Therefore, we manage to have engaging, but enjoyable weekly tutor sessions.

Rebeca Shin, Tutor

Maria, 2nd grade. From our first tutoring session until today, Maria has been a great student. Maria is bright, cheerful and playful. Because she has great comprehension of what she reads, she requires little help in understanding what her homework is asking. I sometimes bring in puzzles ahead of her school grade and she normally has no problem solving them. I know Maria has the ability to pursue many careers, I only hope she maintains the desire and finds the opportunity to do so.

Frank Rutherford, Tutor

Clarissa, 4th grade. Clarissa is an amazing, bright and inspirational young 4th grade student. From our first meeting, she was very easy to work with, responsive and always eager to learn. As I was helping her younger sister with her math skills I realized that she was very advanced for her age and I asked how this happened. The younger sister said that Clarissa has taught her multiplications and shares new math strategies as she learns them, putting her sister ahead of the game. I was amazed. Clarissa recently earned medals for CST testing that took place a couple weeks ago and says her grades are excellent and is very much ahead of her grade level, which is obvious. Claissa enjoys math and science and playing all sports. Besides being a great student, she is a great sister. I am positive she has a great future ahead of her and that she will excel.

Helen Martinez, Tutor