November 18, 2025
Unlocking Joseph’s Potential
How Literacy Opened The Door To Success
When Steven first met Joseph a year ago, Joseph was a quiet and shy 7th grader. He rarely asked questions and often needed encouragement just to engage. School felt overwhelming. With an IEP and significant gaps in reading, writing, and math, he struggled to comprehend grade-level material and wasn’t equipped to keep up with the pace of his classes. Giving up felt easier than trying.
But as the months went by and trust grew stronger, Joseph began to change. Steven focused first on building a relationship by asking questions and helping Joseph feel safe showing up exactly as he was. Slowly, Joseph’s walls came down. Today, he isn’t hesitant with Steven at all. In fact, he sometimes gets so comfortable that he’ll joke around and get carried away. He looks forward to their time together, and he’s now open and eager to share everything from school updates to stories about friends and his interests like football and anime.
Academically, the transformation has been just as powerful. With consistent tutoring and lessons tailored to how Joseph learns, his grades in English, math, history, and science have risen from 65–70 when Steven first met him to 85–90 today. His reading comprehension, writing skills, and vocabulary have all noticeably improved, even as he continues working hard to strengthen them. To help Joseph understand the material, Steven uses tools like the AI tutor in Khan Academy to identify gaps and find better ways to explain concepts.
He also brings creativity into every session especially through gamified learning. Joseph’s favorite is Jeopardy-style study games, where Steven embeds his history and science material into each round. Sometimes other Achievers at the Bronx clubhouse join in to make it more exciting. Every correct or incorrect answer helps Steven understand what Joseph is still struggling with and how to adjust for their next session. During their most recent study session, they played three rounds of Jeopardy to prepare for a history test. Joseph got better and better every round and, because of it, he walked into school more prepared and aced the test.
As Joseph’s academic skills have strengthened, his confidence has grown alongside them. He’s begun putting in more effort at school, motivated by proving to himself that he can do it. Taking on leadership roles, like joining his school’s football team and helping lead an art project, has helped him feel more connected to his school community and more confident in who he is becoming. And outside of academics, Joseph’s character shines. Steven has seen him show kindness again and again from helping a younger girl on the playground try the monkey bars, to carrying bags for an elderly person struggling up the stairs, and even sharing his lunch with someone experiencing homelessness.
They celebrate every milestone, big or small, with fun outings, verbal encouragement, and the occasional reward from GameStop or a clothing store. One of Steven’s proudest moments was the day Joseph brought him a report card filled with improved grades and then showed off his stronger writing skills at the Bronx office all in the same afternoon.
Joseph’s journey reflects the heart of this year’s #WhyLiteracyMatters campaign. When literacy skills begin to click, possibilities expand. Confidence builds. School feels less intimidating. For Joseph, literacy has become a doorway not only to academic success, but to believing in himself and discovering what he’s capable of. His story can be summed up by the phrase Steven uses to describe his growth: “You’ll never know how good you can be unless you’ve given it a fair chance.” And every day, Joseph is giving himself that chance.