College student offers free tutoring service to kids of frontline workers

Hoping to give back to the frontline workers who have risked their lives throughout the pandemic, a college student has created a program that offers free tutoring to their children.

Brett Mozarsky, a senior at Haverford College in Pennsylvania, experienced firsthand the isolation that students could feel as all of his classes moved online for remote learning. He understood that without access to important academic and social resources at school, students could struggle especially if their parents were unavailable to help tutor them.

Determined to make a change, Mozarsky began to develop Free for the Frontline Tutors in March as Covid-19 began to spread across the country. He wanted to give students a helping hand while offering the needed support that frontline workers may not have been able to offer their own children.

“I felt even more concerned for the children of frontline workers, who, like their peers, might have been struggling with remote learning, but were also further disadvantaged by the fact that their parents might not have as much time as they normally would to be at home and help their children with schoolwork,” Mozarsky told CNN.

“Frontline workers have made tremendous sacrifices to keep us safe and healthy throughout this pandemic. I only wanted to give back to these amazing individuals and their families in some way for all that they have done for us.”

The program has more than 50 tutors available, and they are made up primarily of undergraduate students and some recent graduates from Haverford. A few tutors from other colleges around the country have also volunteered to help out. That number will continue to grow, as Mozarsky says that more than 45 people have applied to become volunteer tutors in the past week alone.

Tutors are available to help in biology, chemistry, English, math, history, physics and Spanish. However, there is an option to request subjects outside of those fields.

“The response has been wonderful so far, both from families who are interested in receiving tutoring and students who are interested in volunteering with us,” Mozarsky said. “We have worked with 80 students from around the United States, many of whom we continue to work with.”

Mozarsky said he plans to continue the program even after the pandemic ends, as he believes that all children should have the “opportunity to succeed on their academic journey.”

“There are many students across the country who have been struggling with their classes irrespective of the pandemic,” Mozarsky said. “There are likewise many parents, whether or not they work on the front line, who need to work extensive hours and are physically unable to provide as much educational support for their children at home. I want this to be a free resource for anyone who really needs this in the future.”

Mozarsky is studying chemistry at Haverford, and he said he hopes that he can one day use chemistry to help others in need. He said he plans to work at the National Cancer Institute for a fellowship after he graduates, and he hopes to pursue an MD-PhD degree that he can use to combine his love for chemistry research with his desire to care for sick people.

“Frontline workers have made tremendous sacrifices to keep us safe and healthy throughout this pandemic,” Mozarsky said. “I only wanted to give back to these amazing individuals and their families in some way for all that they have done for us.”