Anne Wang’s Story: Teens Tutor Teens
Previous COO of Teens Tutor Teens and in this company since 2019–2021
When I first entered Teens Tutor Teens (TTT), I was a co-president of one of the other branches of TTT, TTTxRace. And, it was there where I first got acclimated to the non-profit environment, trying my very best to achieve the dream of spreading diversity and race awareness throughout my local community.
However, my fellow executives and I soon hit a major roadblock: too few resources being spread over too many goals. Yet, this was only the beginning of an influential structural change that would lead to many more benefits in the future for the students and tutors we interacted with. We worked around the clock to adjust to a chapter-based system that would enable us to reach more people and also focus on long-term resource renewal and sustainability. Personally, this was also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to change my innate communication, leadership, and problem-solving abilities. Whether that meant contacting people across the United States to get a curated perspective, generating a detailed plan of deadlines and tasks for success, or troubleshooting when there were issues with switching digital systems, TTT provided me with the resources and chances to improve at every given moment.
Then, I gradually became more involved at the nationwide level of TTT as I transitioned from being a co-president to a chief operating officer. First, to help aid the community through COVID-19, I proposed Operation Wellness, a virtual fundraiser for food banks in Georgia and California. It was extremely difficult to initiate and coupled with my lack of experience, I had fears that it would not be as successful as planned. But, through consistent advertising as well as a foundational goal to help those affected by COVID-19, we were able to successfully raise $200+, subsequently donating over 800+ meals, something I would have never thought possible without TTT.
The next challenge was hosting an event with a national audience, leading to not one, not two, but three different attempts to obtain a TEDx license before finally succeeding. This persistence was also well worth the seemingly endless slog of brainstorming, research, essays, and feedback that went into planning the event since we ended up with a turnout of 50+ company attendees and multiple impactful speakers about how youth in business can change the future. Thus, time and time again, TTT has taught me how to overcome the struggles that come with providing services that leave a profound impact on those around me.
And ultimately, even though I leave TTT without ever meeting many of my co-workers, mentors, tutors, and students in person, I leave knowing that my contributions were critical for the development of an extremely noteworthy cause. Amidst the changes we underwent, the outreach we provided, and the events we held, I’m honored to have been part of a company that allowed me to help others beyond what I could have ever imagined.
