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Stanford
Giving
Student riding bike through Stanford campus

Tutoring low-income students with DreamCatchers

Ryan Crowley, ’21, shares how gifts through The Stanford Fund have shaped his experience at Stanford.

Ryan Crowley, ’21 (second from left), celebrating Stanford's 49 to 42 victory over UCLA during Thanksgiving break.

Coming to Stanford has been the greatest experience of my life so far. I cannot help but express the utmost gratitude to all the donors who helped make this happen, to make my time at Stanford happen.

From the third week of fall quarter my freshmen year, up through today, DreamCatchers has been an integral aspect of my Stanford experience. Our group focuses on one-on-one tutoring. Through personalized instruction, local middle-school students from low-income families are given additional academic opportunities and customized coaching to help them thrive.

At Stanford, it’s so easy to get caught up in so many other things that you forget to give back. But the Stanford students involved in DreamCatchers have a passion for learning and a drive to close the opportunity gap that is simply infectious.


Every Thursday, I’m not just happy to see my friends in DreamCatchers, I’m excited for the opportunity to help a student enrich their education. Having come from an under-resourced public school myself, I am inspired every week to help these incredibly excited children work toward achieving their own personal academic goals. I know that my impact is only a drop in the bucket as we strive to improve equity in education, but the small victories that I see in the classroom every week make me optimistic for the future.

DreamCatchers provides a phenomenal outlet for me to give back to the surrounding community in a meaningful way, and it wouldn’t be possible without your support. Thank you to all the donors who help fund public service opportunities on campus, including DreamCatchers.

Ryan Crowley, ’21