Vance County student takes to tutoring, helping others

Nov. 22—HENDERSON

It can be challenging enough for an adolescent to manage their own workload and become a high-performing student, let alone be able to pass on the secrets to their success.

But that has been exactly the case for Danielle Mitchell, a Vance County Early College sophomore who started her own business called Danni's Tutoring, Arts N Things — and has already identified education as her potential career path.

"I love to see when they actually get the question right," Danielle said of the pupils she assists, "and they just have this big smile on their face because they know they succeeded and that makes me so happy. I love that feeling of just being able to help them succeed in their learning."

Danielle showed a penchant for teaching even as an elementary student when her mother Vanessa Mitchell started a free tutoring service.

But the idea of tutoring regularly really took off in the last year or two for Danielle through her role as a captain in I Dance Praise Academy, the Henderson-based dance studio her mom founded.

Danielle gave pointers to her fellow dancers, and fielded questions about how she gained admission to Vance County Early College, which has a partnership with and is located on the campus of Vance-Granville Community College.

Math is Danielle's favorite subject to tutor in but she also helps with reading, science and social studies, and makes herself available to students outside of her own school.

"It just makes me really, really happy because I have gotten kids to come back after I have tutored them, saying, 'I passed my test,' " Danielle said, "or even 'I passed my grade because you helped me.' "

A good teacher must first know the material and Danielle has been an honor-roll student while serving as a dance captain and participating in community service.

"She is very studious," Vanessa said. "Like she has her calendar all mapped out. I don't have to wake her up in the morning. I don't have to remind her to do her homework. I don't have to tell her to go to bed at night. She literally has an alarm set for everything, how she structures her schoolwork and running her tutoring business. It's quite amazing for her to be 15 and to do that."

As one might expect, Vanessa and husband Thomas Mitchell work to be positive role models for their children, encouraging them to be innovative and independent. To be different.

Danielle's younger sister Varonica has already made a national name for herself through her "VV Show" productions on social media.

"Every day that's my motivation: them," Vanessa said. "Me and my husband, we have our talks where, 'This is what we want to teach our children today. This is where we want to see them in two weeks.' "

They want feedback from their children as well. How do they feel? And what plans do they have for themselves?

Thomas tells them, "You can choose to be the best of yourself or choose to be the best of someone else."

That piece of advice has stuck with Danielle, who Vanessa said has always been unique.

Parents can sign up their children for Danielle's tutoring sessions on the Danni's Tutoring, Arts N Things Facebook page.

The "Arts" part of the equation references Danielle's love of art, which includes painting on both glass and canvas. One day, she said, she'd like to have an art studio so she can continue her passion for helping others, but through creating art rather than only bookwork.

Some of Danielle's artwork includes inspirational quotes like a Bible passage from Timothy that states, "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity."

"It's just like, don't let anyone look down on you," Danielle said. "You may not always get it sometimes, but in the end, you'll always succeed."