Our Story
How a Google search turned into OC Tutor Connect.
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"I'm a high school student, a dancer, and someone who believes that the best way to learn something is to try to fix it. This project taught me more about my own community, and about persistence, than any class ever has. I hope it grows far beyond what I imagined that day I first searched 'underserved students in Orange County.'"
— Joanna Li, President & Founder, OC Tutor Connect
The Moment
The Moment
It started with a simple Google search.
I was a freshman at Sage Hill School, thinking about what I wanted my time in high school to actually mean; not just grades and classes, but something real. So I searched: what does education look like across Orange County? What I found surprised me. Despite living in one of the wealthiest counties in the country, more than half of OC students are considered socioeconomically disadvantaged, and 1 in 5 is still learning English. Communities just a few miles from my own school didn't have the same access to academic support that I did.
That search stuck with me. I couldn't unsee it.
The Question
The Question
I started asking myself a simple question: if I have the skills to build something, what could I actually build that would matter?
I didn't want to build another app that just sat on my laptop. I wanted to build something that connected to a real problem I now couldn't stop thinking about. So I started researching local nonprofits, talking to people about what OC students actually needed, and sketching out what a solution could look like.
The Build
The Build
OC Tutor Connect started small. A couple of Google Forms, a basic matching script, and a handful of classmates willing to volunteer their time. No funding, no team, just an idea and a lot of trial and error.
It's still growing. Every match we make, every tutor who signs up, every family we reach, it's all part of turning that first Google search into something real for Orange County students.
The Mission Today
The Mission Today
OC Tutor Connect exists because I believe every student deserves someone in their corner, not just those who can afford it. We're building a free, community-powered tutoring network across Orange County, one match at a time.
Want to be part of the story?
Want to be part of the story?
Sign up as a tutor, request a match, or just follow along.
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