A Few Words About The East Harlem Tutorial Program

Have you ever tried to explain to someone how something tastes? Struggle to find the perfect adjectives to give whatever the thing was complete and utter justice? That’s exactly how it is for me when someone wants me to explain EHTP to him or her.  For the food lovers in the room I think you would completely agree with me when I say think about the best piece of cake you ever had. Imagine every texture, every last blast of taste. Okay now try and FULLY explain what it was like to me? Exactly nothing comes to mind that can express how amazing that was. I’ve never stayed committed to any program or anything required in my life. I always thought my precious hanging out time was so much more important than thinking about school or even going.  I really do wish I had gone to school instead of wasting my time.  Instead of lying in bed watching old reruns of “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” and “The Nanny.” Better yet I wish I would have known about EHTP. They would have kicked my butt into shape from the get go. I came into EHTP a junior who didn’t realize or really care how important junior year was. It was make it or break it. I let personal setbacks keep me down rather than pushing through.  I’ve been at EHTP for only a year now. But it’s felt like a blessing of a lifetime. From the second I walked in I can’t even lie I was so shocked at how much these people cared.  It’s like failure isn’t an option here.  It felt like the second you signed that paper and agreed to commit here, it was like gaining new parents. Although I love my parents with all my heart, and I appreciate the fact that they struggle so much just to pay my tuition, so I could get a quality education. But they aren’t the type to talk about school with or help me with schoolwork, academic dilemmas, or even the college search. So most of the time when it comes to school I’m on my own.  But this is where I thank God EHTP came in. In my most important year of high school I found this little Utopia just a couple blocks from my house. A place I’ve always passed by but never looked into. With EHTP I love that there’s someone like Peter to be on top of our grades, to help us if we have problems in school, to sit down and check in with us about how things are going, even going above and beyond to break down every confusing part of the college search.  With out EHTP I would have never had the confidence I have now in my writing. I came in to this place shy beyond belief. With Frank he doesn’t care if I turn red from embarrassment he throws you In front of the camera and says “Your on!” Film and writing turned out to be something I’m so passionate about. The discussions you have behind the camera makes you think and realize as teenagers we are so worried about ourselves that we don’t even know what’s going on in the world. So with Frank we always had to be on top of current events. Most importantly for me, it was Frank’s confidence in me and my writing that made me actually realize I have a gift, a gift I should be utilizing. From all the practice I’ve gotten in Film and Writing, not to mention the confidence the college search was deciding easier for me because I knew nothing made me happier than to have my voice heard. To share with the world my story, my point of view.  From film and Writing I knew writing is what I wanted to do with my life. When my family told me I can’t get anywhere with writing Frank was always right there as an example of how far you can go. In this one short year, EHTP made me grow up.  They’ve showed they are always there and I could never express how thankful I am to have taken me into this amazing family. We may all argue and get on each other’s nerves, but at the end of the day the family stays strong. I’ve always felt I didn’t belong everywhere I’ve gone, even with my own family. I think it’s the sense of family that reaches our hearts more than anything academic here. The goofy times, the funny moments and people, the love.  EHTP has been one of the best experiences in my life, and it’s something I could never forget, by being part of EHTP its forever in my mind and heart.