JaxTHRIVE Tutoring in Abu Dhabi, The United Arab Emirates (UAE) by Omar Abou Zahr

Omar and his classmates graduating.

Omar and his classmates.

In our senior year, my classmates and I launched a tutoring project, as part of our International Baccalaureate Diploma Program’s (IBDP) Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) component, to uplift refugee students, a community I cherish for their resilience despite disrupted academic paths. Partnering with JaxThrive, I led nine classmates in a school-approved initiative to tutor a total of six students. As leader, manager, and tutor, I paired tutors with tutees, ensured classmate availability, and scheduled sessions, while participating in the tutoring myself. 

Tutoring a Lebanese girl named Sidra, who was newly immigrated from my homeland, was profoundly meaningful. She struggled with Chemistry concepts taught in English, so I translated and simplified them in our Lebanese dialect, bridging her language gap. Witnessing her confidence grow as she grasped key ideas reinforced my commitment to service. This connection to Lebanon deepened my sense of responsibility to serve global communities, leading the initiative with more purpose.

The project’s impact rippled beyond the six students. It united my classmates in a shared mission, fostering a culture of collaboration and cooperation. By coordinating schedules and pairings, teamwork was cultivated, inspiring my peers to embrace responsibility. The initiative’s success spurred plans for a permanent tutoring club at our school to sustain this support. I hope to see this global service continue in the coming batches of students at my school, and to see more posts on JaxThrive’s newsletter. This experience sharpened my leadership skills, teaching me to navigate challenges with compassion and wisdom.

Leading a project serving public good highlighted the importance and ease of service. My team and I were able to serve students internationally through our laptops, proving the importance of employing technology to serve public good. I honed my skills of taking initiative, leadership, and management throughout this project, while positively impacting my friends, my school, and students abroad. 

The experience with JaxThrive has been great, and I highly encourage students everywhere to participate in this honorable service. I, and the whole team, would like to thank the JaxThrive organization for this amazing opportunity, in hopes that our school will continue to work together in the future. 

Omar Abou Zahr,

A senior at the American International School of Abu Dhabi

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