4 minute read
This month’s blog was inspired by the Vietnamese proverb “When eating fruit, remember who planted the tree.” To us, this is a reminder to be grateful for every person who plays a role in our life journeys.
Last year around this time, we were cautiously optimistic that 2021 would feel a little bit more “normal,” and we’re so pleased to recognize the familiar appearing in both large and small ways. As we navigate the lingering effects of the pandemic, we want to express our gratitude for where we are today and everyone who contributed to the process.
In no particular order, we’re thinking about how grateful we are for:
1. Our resilient students
Students are obviously a key component in our work, but we want to express gratitude to each and every student who has taken a class with us in the last year – both virtually and in person. We love checking in with our teachers and hearing stories of sharing little joys and successes that emerge in our SAT and ACT classes. Our students have bravely embraced each new challenge that they’ve faced over the last year and a half and inspired us to remain open and flexible. We’re so excited that over 7,200 students have been able to benefit from our affordable and convenient test prep.
2. Communities reconnecting
We’re so thankful that our communities are able to reconvene a bit more than they could last year (and especially thankful to everyone involved with creating the vaccines that are enabling us to do so). The energy of in-person classes is different from those conducted online, and we’re so glad that parents have embraced the option that is best for their students.
3. Parents’ trust and support
There are many options that parents can choose when looking to prepare their students for some of the most important tests of their school years. As a small (and local!) business, it means the world to us when parents sign their students up for our classes or recommend one of The Answer Class’s 90+ courses per year to a friend.
4. Our stellar teachers
The Answer Class’ 23 teachers come from a variety of different fields to each bring their unique strengths to our classes. They’re selected out of a large group of candidates for their energy and passion for helping students succeed. Our team always stays up-to-date on the most recent happenings in the standardized testing world, and student feedback informs our curriculum every step of the way.
5. The changing landscape of the SAT and ACT
The world of standardized testing has evolved gradually, but it was one of many areas of life that was turned upside down during the pandemic. Colleges and universities are increasingly choosing to go test-optional, which is great news for students whose other strengths outweigh their test-taking skills. Our goal is to help students achieve their college dreams – whether that means through demystifying the SAT and ACT or through other means. We very much support the college application process being accessible for everyone.
6. Our partner schools
We owe a huge (virtual!) round of applause to our 25 partner schools who are so instrumental in helping us reach the students in their corners of the education world. We very much appreciate their input and communication through the logistics of planning classes. Plus, our partner schools identify important financial goals so that our donation of a portion of tuition collected can benefit the school community. So far, we’ve been able to donate over $180,000 to our partner schools.
7. Autumn and the current moment
On a more general note, we are grateful for where we are and who we are at this very moment. We encourage pausing to notice the beauty of the multi-colored trees, the joy of pumpkin patches, the relief of cool breezes breaking the summer heat, and the satisfaction of stepping on a particularly crunchy leaf.
We hope that you can find reasons to be grateful all around you this month. And we’re always ready to welcome new partner schools into The Answer Class network! Read more about the benefits of hosting classes with us or email us with any questions.