(Summer 2024) – Diego Miller, a recent graduate of Lowell High School, embodies the essence of a well-rounded individual. He’s not only a sports enthusiast with a love for soccer and football but also an anime aficionado who finds joy in exploring diverse interests. Academically inclined, Diego excels in writing-based subjects like English and History, while tackling math with determination and resilience.
(Winter 2024) – Tianlee Chu, a San Francisco native, believes that “tutoring forges a positive mutual brain connection unlike almost anything else in the world. When two people work together to learn challenging subjects, they have to listen and respond actively to one another, and be willing to be vulnerable.”
(Fall 2023) – Cody Franco, a current SMART Scholar and eighth grader at The Nueva School, is looking to his future as a college graduate. In September, Cody was one of 43 students selected from more than 800 7th grade applicants nationwide to receive the Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars award this year.
(Summer 2023) – “Oh, I love New York. Moving here is probably the best decision I’ve made in my life. Just because of how large a decision it was, and also because of all the unexpected, positive things that have happened since.”
(Spring 2023) – Currently a sophomore in college, Kathya’s unique SMART journey began in 9th Grade. Encouraged by her younger brother’s SMART experience, Kathya’s mother advocated for her to apply to SMART when she was in 8th Grade.
“It was during the interview process at SMART that I started to realize that college will take some planning, because so much of what we do in high school determines our college options.”
(Fall 2022) – In late August 2022, SMART Scholar Aaliyah Perry moved to the east coast and started college at Mount Holyoke College. Mount Holyoke was high on Aaliyah’s list of college preferences, because of the college’s wide range of course offerings on her journey to becoming a licensed Speech Therapist. Aaliyah is already considering specialization and certifications in this field beyond college.
(Fall 2022) – Nneka Williams has been teaching math and wellness since 1999. Last spring she came across an ad seeking a teacher for SMART’s 2022 Summer Academic Enrichment Program. She was intrigued by SMART’s stated organizational values, and specifically the value of Joy, which she believes is so important for learning. However, what she found most compelling was SMART’s program design that starts engaging students in 4th grade and supports them all the way through college graduation.