Sharmaine's & Hannah's Story

Sharmaine Smith

Before Sharmaine Smith started working with Hannah Lin, her Petey Greene Program tutor, she was ready to drop out of The John Jay Institute.

As a formerly incarcerated individual working multiple jobs, it was hard for her to keep up with classes, work, and taking care of her 16-year-old son. When she realized tutoring support was an option, she decided to take the opportunity.

“You know, you can't tell him to go to school and do what he's supposed to do when mommy's fallen off the map,” Sharmaine said. “So it would be for me to be a role model for him."

Sharmaine had been tested for dyscalculia, a learning disability that makes it difficult to learn anything number related. She was discouraged by her academic progress and ready to throw in the towel, but then, she met Hannah.

Hannah Lin

Hannah started tutoring with PGP over a year ago. As a junior at Columbia University, she tutored and attended classes remotely because of the pandemic. She began working with Sharmaine virtually at the tail end of the 2020 fall semester.

“The human connection gets lost a bit, but I feel like we were still able to know each other so well,” Hannah shared with Sharmaine. “And it's crazy that we've just been seeing each other behind a screen.”

Despite the less than optimal conditions, Sharmaine said the tutoring sessions were indispensable to helping her develop her math skills.

Working together over just a few weeks, Sharmaine acquired all of the information she needed to succeed. She received the highest grade she had gotten so far.

At the start of the new semester, Hannah and Sharmaine picked up where they left off. Together, they prepped for her first exam.

“When I passed the test, I literally cried,” Sharmaine said. “Even with all the help that Hannah was giving, I really didn't think I could do it. But when it manifested itself in a passing grade, the weight of the world came off my shoulders.”

For both, learning what grades Sharmaine got became a highlight of their sessions. Because of the tutoring support, Sharmaine’s confidence grew, and she no longer contemplated dropping out. In fact, she hoped to raise her GPA so that she can double-major at John Jay.

“She's such a fantastic student,” Hannah said. “I mean, Sharmaine inspires me so much with how much hard work she puts in and her motivation.”

By the end of the semester, Sharmaine’s GPA was 3.45, the highest it had been during her entire time at John Jay. Hannah was proud when she heard the news and told Sharmaine the high marks were well-deserved.

Sharmaine and Hannah are preparing to tackle new challenges for the upcoming semester. They are eager to continue working together and to hopefully meet in person soon.

“Yes, we have statistics next semester,” Sharmaine added, laughing.