When I was in early High School I really struggled in school, but I didn’t want anyone to know. So instead of owning up to my struggles I began to act out; skipping class, not handing in assessments and becoming a real headache for both my teachers and parents. This ‘bad boy’ reputation was a mask I wore that hid my own insecurities and lack of confidence.

My parents, at the end of their rope and not really sure what to do, decided to seek the help of a tutor. This tutor wasn’t what I had pictured a tutor to be; an angry teacher that would see straight away how behind I was.

Instead, it was a young guy, fresh out of school and studying at University. He didn’t make me feel stupid at all. In fact, it was the opposite; for some reason he believed in me. I had never experienced that before.

He was patient with me, and his confidence in me drove me to work harder and actually see what I could achieve. He was the fork in the road in my life – without him things would have ended up very differently.

I went from basically failing 8th grade to topping my HSC year. It was simply because a young guy took the time to believe in me and patiently mentor me to see what I could become.

This is what we now do every single day at Alchemy Tuition; match Australian students up with young, passionate tutors. It’s about so much more than just marks – it is showing students what they are truly capable of. It is changing lives, one student at a time.