Success Story: Bryan and Academic Assistance

At United Way of Central Florida, our mission is to make make lasting, measurable changes in the academic success of the children in our community. But that doesn't always happen overnight. Sometimes, it takes time and intensive attention. That is the case for Bryan, a young man who has been working with tutors through Academic Assistance, a United Way of Central Florida partner program at Learning Resource Center, since 2008.

Photo, left: Bryan and his tutor, Pamela Ringer

Bryan’s parents sought help for their son just after he had finished first grade. At that time, his grades and lack of skills in all academic areas were too low for him to be promoted to 2nd grade. His report card showed Ds and Us for every nine week period; he had difficulties with speech, could not blend simple words, and could not count to 100. He was shy, hesitant, and afraid of failure.

With time, Bryan slowly began to emerge from his shell, both emotionally and academically. He began to sound out words on his own, and was proud when he was able to finally read an entire book on his own. He progressed enough during the next year to move into second grad where he continued to thrive, bringing home Bs in reading on his report card. When he entered third grade, his tutoring started to focus on FCAT preparation, while still working on his core skills in math, reading, and written language. With a lot of hard work, he was promoted to fourth grade.

Although transportation was sometimes an issue for his parents, through their dedication, they were always able to get him to his tutoring session. Their efforts and his determination have paid off. Now, the young man who had stopped after reading each word to look at his tutor is reading fluently. Bryan has since completed fifth grade with average to above average grades in reading, spelling, and written language. His current goal is to improve his math grade.

Education is one of the building blocks of a good quality of life and a stable community. When we work together to make lasting change in the education of the children in Polk, Hardee, and Highlands counties, we are ensuring their future success and reducing the chances that they will be dependent on public support. United Way of Central Florida works with partners like Learning Resource Center to help thousands of students in our area, like Bryan, get the educational enrichment they need to flourish and become a contributing member of society.