“On some days, it feels like my scholars are drifting out into...

“On some days, it feels like my scholars are drifting out into the ocean, and I’m trying to paddle toward them to save them, but they keep getting
farther and farther away from me. It can be tough to keep them engaged.
Many of them don’t believe in themselves. If the material gets too
hard, they’ll lose confidence, and try to find ways to not deal with it
directly. Instead of struggling, they’ll decide not to care. So we try
to teach them that struggle is necessary, and it’s alright. I always
remind them of the Frederick Douglass said: ‘Without struggle, there can
be no progress.’”