There are more than one million students enrolled in New York
City public schools, making it the largest school system in the
United States. Yet each student enrolled is unique and enters
school each day with varying needs. Thus, there is a general
consensus that providing targeted and individualized support to
students is crucial to their academic success. Furthermore,
implementing this support early in their education can impact
students during critical stages in their development and benefit
their academic performance for years to come.
Since 2015, I have served on the junior board for Read
Ahead, a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that New
York City elementary school students have the skills they need for
academic and life-long success. Read Ahead's program is
centered on one-on-one lunchtime reading-based mentoring sessions
between students and volunteer mentors. Students are recommended by
their teachers or school staff to participate in the