A Palm Beach County high school senior is helping underserved students succeed in school through math tutoring — one student at a time.
Benjamin Kaufman, a senior at American Heritage High School, has helped more than 40 underserved students in his community since his family moved from Chicago to Boca Raton two years ago. He volunteers at the Milagro Center in Delray Beach, where he works with children who lack access to proper educational resources.
"My favorite thing by far is seeing how happy they get when they realize they can do it," Kaufman said.
Kaufman's passion for tutoring began in Chicago, where he was tutored himself, competed in math competitions, and eventually became a tutor. After relocating to South Florida, he wanted to continue that work.
"I realized here that they have a very similar problem. That a lot of students, in underserved communities, were not getting the math instruction they needed," Kaufman said.
Many of the students he works with come from immigrant families who face language barriers.
"To me, it means that they have not been provided the same opportunities other students have, so I'm just trying to do my best to fill on that gap," Kaufman said.
His goal is to invest in younger students who need it most — and to inspire them to become tutors themselves one day.
"I'm trying to do everything I can to try and teach about teaching and get others into it and to get these students back up to grade level," Kaufman said.
Beyond solving math problems, Kaufman wants his lessons to build lasting confidence.
"I know that these students are going to remember this one teacher made a huge impact. He believed in me, he knew that I could do it," Kaufman said.
For Kaufman, the work extends well beyond the classroom.
"Knowing that I'm making an impact on others is the greatest use of time for everyone," Kaufman said.
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