WAXHAW, N.C. — At just 16-years-old, Aarav Agrawal has lived all over the world, and he’s no stranger to the struggles of learning behind a language barrier.
“I was born in Thailand, raised in Mexico, spent some time in Louisiana, India and now I’m here in Charlotte,” Agrawal told Channel 9’s Miana Massey.
In Charlotte, the number of students learning English as a second language has grown from 20,000 in 2019 to 32,000 in 2024.
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“There were so many students struggling in school, not because they lacked the ability, but because they didn’t understand what the teacher was saying,” he said. “I realized that I speak Hindi, English and Spanish. I can do something to help them.”
An inspired Agrawal then started ESL Teen Tutors — a free, student-led program that in just a year has helped more than a thousand students in over 25 languages.
For Amelia Hernandez, it was math and social sciences where she struggled the most.
“Specifically, the work was getting more complex,” Hernandez said. “It wasn’t as hands-on with the teacher since the classes were getting bigger and older.”
The program has made all the difference.
“It helped me with being more comfortable in the classroom, asking questions, or talking to people one-on-one,” she said.
The lessons go both ways, helping tutors learn and grow alongside their students.
“It’s not just the students that change,” Agrawal said. “It’s also the tutors that grow as people.”
“I love connecting with different people around my community and getting to know new people,” Santiogo Botero, a tutor, said. “It’s just a pleasure working with younger people who want to learn, but maybe don’t have the capabilities to.”
ESL Teen Tutors allows students to pass the torch, helping each other and making sure everyone has the support they need to succeed both in and out of the classroom.
VIDEO: Local elementary school teaches English to parents who face language barrier
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