From Tutor to Founder

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I started volunteering as an ASVAB tutor when I was fifteen, after taking the exam at an Air Force Reserve office and earning a 97. My first student was a man in his thirties who had failed the test multiple times. After a three-hour session, he called me and said, “Sir, I passed.” It was the first time anyone had ever called me “sir,” and I was thrilled to realize that sharing what I knew could open a new career path for someone else. Soon, I was tutoring several nights a week.

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As the number of students grew, I kept saying yes to everyone. I squeezed sessions into every open hour, even when it meant losing sleep and falling behind in school. Watching people pass their exams and begin military careers made the exhaustion feel worthwhile. To me, caring meant doing everything myself.

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Over time, I realized that if the goal was to help more people, the work could not depend on one person alone. With that perspective, I began inviting academically strong peers to tutor alongside me. What surprised me most was that the quality of support didn’t decrease — it improved. Students benefited from different teaching styles, and tutors learned from one another.

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In December 2024, we formally organized these efforts into YouthCanDo, a youth-run nonprofit dedicated to providing free academic support to military candidates. What began as individual tutoring evolved into a team built on shared responsibility. We now meet weekly to exchange teaching strategies, reflect on challenges, and support one another as both tutors and learners.

 

Many of our students had been out of school for years and carried doubts long before they opened a book. We learned to encourage before we taught, and to listen before we explained. Sometimes the most important thing to say is, “I know you can do it. Let’s do it together.”

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Leading a youth-run organization serving adult learners has taught me humility and accountability. The unique structure of YouthCanDo — high school students tutoring adult military candidates — benefits both sides: while our adult students gain access to free education, our tutors grow through real responsibility and leadership. I have learned that leadership is not about sacrificing yourself at all costs, but about building a team and trusting others.