Sarah’s Story
The world has ground to a halt—we are at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sarah’s mom, Amanda, works in a nursing home, hoping and praying that schools remain open. She cannot afford to stay home with Sarah and her younger brother, Jessie.
Weeks into the pandemic, schools shut down and children are shifted to online learning. Moms like Amanda are soon recognized as essential frontline workers—individuals who sustain critical infrastructure, provide vital services, and ensure community well-being.
Amanda is beside herself. With no family nearby, she scrambles to find childcare and relies on a kind neighbour in her apartment building to keep an eye on the children. It’s not ideal, but it’s the best she can do.
Online school quickly proves to be a problem for Sarah. She hates being left alone at home with her brother, and working on her mom’s old iPad is frustrating. Before long, she stops attending class altogether.
Amanda, at her wit’s end, comes home drained after 12-hour shifts at the nursing home. She wants to help her children, but exhaustion leaves her with little capacity. This difficult situation stretches on for two years.
By the time schools re-open, Sarah is far behind her peers. She was in grade 2 when the pandemic began, and has now returned to the classroom in grade 4. But the cracks in the system are glaring: her school has limited resources to help students catch up. Sarah struggles academically, and Amanda cannot afford private tutoring. The frustration deepens for both mother and daughter.
Halfway through the school year, the principal shares news about the return of an after-school learning program called the “Running & Reading Club”, run by Start2Finish, which has resumed its operations in the school. The waiting list is long, but Amanda applies twice, and Sarah finally secures a spot.
At first, things don’t go smoothly. Sarah is frustrated with reading and struggles with socialization, challenging the program’s structure. However, Coach Nicole sees Sarah’s potential and advocates for her to remain in the program. By the end of grade 4, Sarah begins to show progress, and her reading skills improve under the guidance of the Start2Finish coaches.
Grade 5 marks a turning point. Sarah is among the first to sign up for the program this year. She works diligently with her coaches, and reading becomes less challenging by spring break. Her confidence grows, and she emerges as a natural leader among her peers. By the end of grade 5, her reading scores improve significantly, reflecting her hard work and the program’s impact.
Sarah and her family are overjoyed at her graduation from the program. The pandemic has taken so much from them, but Start2Finish has become a lifeline—a safety net that prevented her from falling through the cracks.
After-school learning programs like Start2Finish are vital. They provide children with the academic and emotional support they need, especially in the face of systemic inequities exacerbated by crises like the pandemic. These programs help students catch up and foster resilience, build leadership, and restore hope for families like Sarah’s. They remind us that with the right resources and care, every child has the potential to thrive.