Sometimes, the hardest thing to do is pick yourself off the ground when you feel like you’ve hit rock bottom. But once you do, it’s the first step to building a much brighter future for yourself. Maria, a member of ESBGC for 4 years now, started attending the Raise the Grade Program. Raise the Grade supports young people by tutoring and mentoring them through their studies. Maria’s success stemmed from her commitment to wanting something greater for herself.

When Maria was in grade 7, she was failing. She had no interest in her school work and began to convince herself that this was it for her. One of her biggest concerns was the cost of tutoring, as it can be extremely pricey and unattainable for young people. With the world on her shoulders, Maria leaned to ESBGC for guidance.

“The Club has given me the opportunity to obtain resources such as tutoring that I couldn’t afford or obtain access to. They always provide the necessary resources and space I need to succeed.” – she tells us.

Over time, the staff grew closer to Maria, and they constantly shared conversation around her academic success. As Maria came to the program consistently, from grade 7 to grade 11, she is now an honor roll student. She explains her access to resources through the club supported her development over time. Reliability made it easy for her be dedicated to excelling in school.