Students’ View: How COVID-19 Put Our Consulting Jobs On Hold & Led Us To Become Accidental Equity Entrepreneurs

Students’ View: How COVID-19 Put Our Consulting Jobs On Hold & Led Us to Become Accidental Equity Entrepreneurs

Revised Sept. 30

As of Sept. 30, we find ourselves as accidental pioneers in the pursuit of educational equity. As college students and recent graduates, we have witnessed firsthand how the COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating existing disparities in education. Recognizing the urgency of this issue, we have taken it upon ourselves to reverse this course before it becomes irreparable.

At the beginning of this year, while we were seniors at Vanderbilt University, we had secured promising positions at prestigious management consulting firms. It appeared as though we were well on our way to achieving the quintessential American Dream. However, everything changed on March 17, 2020. Universities closed their doors, graduation ceremonies got canceled, and we were abruptly sent home to continue our education remotely.

As the COVID-19 crisis unfolded, and the country became increasingly divided along racial and political lines, we came to a stark realization. The idea of the American Dream that we had been pursuing was built upon a flawed foundation, riddled with a tainted history and an imbalanced power structure.

In the midst of this chaos, our friends and fellow classmates began asking, "How can we help? What can we do?" It was our natural instinct to tap into the volunteer spirit of young leaders and rise to the challenge of mitigating the learning loss and educational disparities that the pandemic was exposing and amplifying. With our consulting jobs put on hold, we set out on a mission to create a collective of dedicated individuals who could provide free tutoring to students from low-income backgrounds.

We reached out to our fellow students at Vanderbilt, sending them a poll to gauge their willingness to volunteer as tutors for students who were disproportionately affected by the challenges posed by the pandemic. The response was overwhelming, with a resounding "yes" from the student body. We then commenced the process of building our network through virtual Zoom conversations, GroupMe discussions, and emails shared within student organizations. In just one month, we had established a platform that matched tutors with students, gathering a formidable group of 100 college students who were ready to tackle the unprecedented obstacles head-on.

As our network, now known as BrightPath Tutors, continued to expand, we sought guidance from accomplished professors at Vanderbilt and education experts. We also sought opportunities to collaborate with leading education nonprofits. After reviewing research that highlighted the benefits of near-peer tutoring and the significant impact that mentors could have on fostering the success of first-generation students, we realized that our efforts would be most effective if directed towards high school students and recent graduates. We formed partnerships with the local public school district, community colleges, and community-based nonprofit organizations in Vanderbilt’s surrounding area, which we proudly call our adopted hometown. We then started spreading the word to those students who stood to gain the most from our initiative.

Through these partnerships, we developed tailor-made curricula that addressed the unique needs of each student. This approach resulted in reported academic improvements, even in an environment where losses were anticipated. Remarkably, after just two weeks of one-on-one tutoring, over 90 percent of BrightPath students expressed a heightened sense of confidence in their respective subjects.

Approximately a month after our tutoring sessions began during the summer, we observed an interesting trend. Initially focused on academics, the relationships between tutors and tutees quickly transformed into personal mentorships and friendships. Our tutors advised students on the college application process, provided career guidance, and offered emotional support. In return, the tutees taught their tutors how to become patient educators and empathetic listeners. They also provided different perspectives through their near-peer friendships. As students and tutors met week after week, they did more than just review academic concepts; they learned invaluable lessons from one another that cannot be found in any standard curriculum.

According to a study by McKinsey & Company, the average K-12 student in the U.S. may face a lifetime loss of earnings ranging from $61,000 to $82,000 due to learning setbacks brought on by COVID-19. The impact is expected to be even greater for Black, Hispanic, and economically disadvantaged students, with projected achievement gaps widening by an estimated 15 to 20 percent. NWEA has also predicted that students may return to school in the fall, mostly through remote learning, lagging nearly an entire year behind in math. To meet these profound challenges, education experts stress the urgent need for a robust and immediate response. Robin Lake, director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington, has underlined the importance of addressing these learning losses promptly, as they can snowball and lead to student disengagement when they feel unable to keep up with the work. We remain optimistic in our belief that the academic tutoring and personal mentorship provided by our grassroots network, consisting of motivated and dedicated college students and recent graduates, represents a crucial step towards countering this bleak future.

We didn’t embark on this journey with the intention of becoming educational equity entrepreneurs, but circumstances have demonstrated that this is precisely where we are needed.

We aspire for BrightPath to expand its reach to more cities, marking the beginning of a lasting movement driven by young volunteers who are dedicated to reforming educational inequities. Our vision of the American Dream now encompasses the inclusion of historically marginalized students who are considered at-risk, first generation, and underserved. When established leaders fail to address these issues, it becomes clear that the flaws within our systems and the disparities in educational opportunities are magnified. It is our responsibility to utilize our social, educational, and political influence to strive towards achieving educational equity. If we fail to take action, who else will step up?

Sam Margolis and Brad Gellman, recent graduates of Vanderbilt University, are the visionary founders of BrightPath Tutors.