A swarm of frantic students form in the back corner of the Titan Learning Center (TLC) at the designated science table. At the center of the chaos, TLC tutor Anish Abeysiriwardena calmly moves from student to student, giving each his undivided attention and helpful advice. After just one year of working in the TLC, Abeysiriwardena has had an undeniable impact on the program with his positive attitude, patience, and welcoming demeanor, Austin Smith, English Teacher and TLC Co-Coordinator, said.
This is not the first time Abeysiriwardena has made an impact at South. Just five years ago, he graduated at the ripe age of 14, Abeysiriwardena said. After graduating from Lake Forest College in 2023, where he majored in International Relations and minored in Chemistry and Economics, Abeysiriwardena then became an Science Department Instructional Assistant, primarily working in the TLC, Abeysiriwardena said.
“After college, [I knew] I did not want to step into doing something professional just yet,” Abeysiriwardena said. “My experience at [South] was wonderful. Everybody was amazing and supportive. I was very involved here, and it is just a good place to be. So, I thought, why not come back for a little bit?”
Because of his expertise in Chemistry, Biology, and Physics, Abeysiriwardena has been a major help to students needing help in those subjects, junior Vanessa Saczala said.
“Mr. A is such a great tutor, not only because of his intelligence and how well he explains complex concepts, but also because of how friendly and kind he is,” Saczala said. “He helped me a lot when I was taking Honors Chemistry, and many of my friends would also say the same.”
Both faculty and pupils commend Abeysiriwardena for his tutoring skills due to his friendly manner and efficient teaching methods, Smith said.
“He’s very encouraging and optimistic,” Smith said. “He is not just giving students the answers. He is asking them questions, working alongside them on problems, [and] doing sample problems. He is giving them the support they need to learn so they can do it on their own.”
In addition to tutoring, Abeysiriwardena has also become a Co-Sponsor of Model United Nations this year and is currently completing a Masters’ program in Data Science with Georgia Institute of Technology, Abeysiriwardena said. As far as ambitions outside of South, Abeysiriwardena is still keeping his options open.
“One career path that I had never considered, but I’m considering more and more every day, is teaching,” Abeysiriwardena said. “Every day I come home smiling because I helped somebody understand some new concept, whether it be in Physics or Chemistry. [Seeing] that ‘aha’ moment on a student’s face is something that you do not get in any other job.”
