HOW IT BEGAN

Mrs. Hahn and a Determined to Succeed student

While teaching her 5th grade class at Brentwood Science Magnet Elementary School, Sara Hahn realized that if a passionate and caring educator were to follow the same group of students through middle and high school, the positive impact on the children would be tremendous and life changing. Her students were part of the magnet program within LAUSD and felt lucky to have avoided their neighborhood schools. Almost all of the students rode the bus for over two hours a day in order to receive their education. On a daily basis Mrs. Hahn was inspired by these students’ resilience and hope for the future. She found that having one-on-one time – to be tutored, to be heard, to be encouraged and counseled – made a huge difference in their growth. The students would give up their recess or lunch in order to have this individual attention from their teacher. Mrs. Hahn believed that if she continued to follow and teach her students from year to year, she could provide a fluidity and consistency that would create an optimal level of learning.

With the generous support of actor Hank Azaria, Mrs. Hahn began working with a select group of her 5th grade students, and Determined to Succeed was born. The after-school program started as her students began the 6th grade, and they are now in their final year at Paul Revere Middle School.

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DETERMINED TO SUCCEED ADVISORY BOARD

Hank Azaria
Determined to Succeed Co-Founder and Actor

Mary Beth Barry
Head of Admissions, Brentwood Lower School

Lana Brody
Educational Consultant and former Vice Principal, Palms Middle School

Kimberly Milstein Buckley
Executive, Genius Products

Sara Hahn
Determined to Succeed Founder and Executive Director

Tara Iwano
Senior Copywriter, Scholastic

Patrick McCabe
Director of Programs, New Visions Foundation
Director, New Roads Elementary School

Jane Rissman
Community Volunteer

Gene Rubin
Former Vice Principal of Palms Middle School

Lisa Waggoner
Director of Scripted Programming, Warner Horizon

Tracy Wilson-Soriano
Community Volunteer           

Barri Stern
Associate Publisher, Bauer Publishing

David Wright
TV Writer