Don't stand by. Stand up.

I've always admired my talented, hardworking classmates. Growing up, we sat side by side and dreamed about our futures together. But, as we entered high school, many of them began to fall behind, despite their discipline and talent. When I asked why, a common theme arose: they could not afford help. That’s when I realized the unfair reality that academic success was determined by privilege, and not potential. Determined to advocate for my classmates, I researched and came across BrightBrilliance, a student-founded nonprofit that provided free academic services. I immediately applied and was selected as Director of Logistics.

BrightBrilliance operated through in-person tutoring at 2 London high schools, and had a small Discord community. Seeing a widespread need for academic help and BrightBrilliance’s potential to scale its support, I met with fellow Board members to discuss expanding our services. I proposed launching Zoom-based tutoring sessions so students from any school could access our services - they would submit requests, and I would match them with tutors. Although we received 8 signups, my third-party coordination became inefficient when last-minute changes occurred, often resulting in miscommunication. This frustrated the students and tutors, and I worried these issues reflected poorly on me. At this point, I realized I had been so focused on my setbacks I had forgotten my purpose at BrightBrilliance, which was to provide academic support for those in need. I discovered the reason for my system’s failure: it was not user-friendly. Starting from scratch, I designed a shared calendar with tutor availabilities, meeting links, and subject strengths. Students could independently contact tutors and schedule sessions; as a result, weekly signups increased to 25. We even received requests from students in Manitoba and Alberta. Tutors supported 3 students every week, and our Discord community activity increased - BrightBrilliance was now a consistent service rather than a passive resource.

As word spread of our services, the vice principal of Regina Mundi Catholic College reached out, requesting to partner with us and implement in-person tutoring at their school. We accepted the opportunity, but with midterms approaching, tutor demand would peak. While our recruitment posters attracted 15 applicants, we still needed to interview and select 7 tutors. I knew that BrightBrilliance’s first impression at Regina Mundi depended on the professionalism of our execution. I reached out to applicants, assigned Board members as interviewers, and tracked scheduling progresses, keeping our Executive Director regularly updated. As a result, we finalized tutor matchups within 10 days, establishing a strong organization branch at Regina Mundi.

Beyond these initiatives, I also tutor students virtually, recruit new Board members, and host weekly Board meetings, where directors provide department reports and discuss operational strategies. I also collaborate with colleagues to develop sponsor partnerships with local businesses and apply for grants to strengthen our programs.

Through BrightBrilliance, I learned to fight unfairness by recognizing injustice and building solutions to remove it. By expanding our reach to support my classmates and 250 additional students, I learned that change can grow from small actions.