Problem Solver

‘Do your work, Precious!” says Rennie Quesada, a 20-year-old tutor who has his work cut out for him.

Sixth-graders Bryon Martinez, Walbert Lainez and Isidro Roa, all from Los Angeles’ Washington Irving Middle School, are flying through their math and science homework.

But 12-year-old Precious Verduzco is struggling.

Just how many teaspoons and cups of honey, tahini, granola, melted butter and vanilla will it take to quadruple a granola cookie recipe?

The math problem stumps Precious nearly all afternoon, but her patient tutor keeps her focused. When she finally jots down the right answer, Quesada rewards her with a high-five.

“You got it! You’re smart,” he says. “Nothing’s hard. You can do it!”

Last fall, Quesada, a physical therapy student at Glendale Community College, was looking for a job to help pay his way through school. He saw a flier posted on campus for a middle school tutor and applied. As a smart kid with good grades in math and English, he was looking for an easy paycheck.

Now, four months later, tutoring has changed his life as much as he has changed the lives of the half-dozen kids he works with four days a week and sometimes Saturdays.

“I feel like I’m their big brother now,” he says.

Quesada’s tutoring job at the middle school is possible thanks to a new federal grant of nearly $30 million called “Gear Up,” an acronym for “Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs.”

The program is a partnership between Los Angeles Unified School District and tutors from area colleges, universities and community organizations to encourage low-income kids to stay on the college track. Overall, the grant is expected to affect more than 13,000 sixth- and seventh-graders at seven Los Angeles Unified middle schools, including Charles Maclay and Pacoima middle schools in Pacoima, Olive Vista in Sylmar, Walter Reed in North Hollywood and San Fernando Middle School.

The tutoring will follow the students as they move on to high schools, including North Hollywood, San Fernando and Sylmar.

Quesada’s tutoring is working, says Mia Lee, who oversees the afternoon program at Washington Irving.

“He’s very consistent,” Lee says. “The kids know he’ll be there for them. That’s important.”

Quesada keeps a close eye on Walbert, Isidro, Bryon and Precious. He knows when they are struggling or when a teacher or family member gets them down.

“If not for this program,” he says, “they’d be home watching TV or playing in the streets.”

Parents, he says, are not home to help them and most do not speak English anyway.

Quesada was a toddler in 1982 when his parents took him and his brother, Elmo, who is now 19, from war-torn Nicaragua to Los Angeles.

“Now, I go to college,” he tells his charges. “How about you?”

Next fall, Quesada hopes to transfer to Cal State Northridge. He chose physical therapy, he says, because he wants to help others.

As the afternoon starts to wind down, Quesada’s students are the last to leave. He has put in a full day, getting to school at 7 a.m. for a heavy load of back-to-back classes. Now, at 5 p.m., he will not let Precious leave until she can convert five over three into a proper fraction.

When she does, he throws her another problem and then another. She gets them all. There is applause around the table.

She smiles at him shyly.

“I’m hoping for the best for them,” Quesada says. “With a little bit of guidance, anything is possible. You know, I could be helping out four future doctors. You never know.”

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Personal Best is a weekly profile of an ordinary person who does extraordinary things. Please send suggestions on prospective candidates to Personal Best, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth 91311. Or fax them to (818) 772-3338. Or e-mail them to valley.news@latimes.com.