Inspiring Livingston Teen Mentors Other Youth With Learning Differences

LIVINGSTON, NJ — These days, Eliana Kaplan is an honors student at Livingston High School, where she takes AP classes and thrives in an active academic environment. But the New Jersey teen hasn’t forgotten how difficult her early years of navigating the challenges of dyslexia and ADHD were.

Now she’s using that experience to mentor other kids who are walking in her shoes.

Kaplan, 16, a junior at LHS, is the driving force behind Mentoring Brave Minds, a free mentoring program for local elementary-aged children (K–5) who have learning differences.

Acting as a “big sister” figure, she provides encouragement and real-world strategies to kids currently in resource rooms or basic skills programs. Her goal is to show these students that a diagnosis isn’t a ceiling – it’s just a different way of learning.

With the school year in full swing, many parents are currently struggling to support children with learning gaps. Through the nonprofit, Kaplan is trying to offer a “hopeful” perspective on neurodiversity that could give them a hand.

According to Kaplan, she eventually realized that what she needed most in her younger days wasn't just another tutor: it was a mentor who truly “got it.”

The ambitious teen recently shared her story at a meeting of the Livingston Board of Education, noting that she has also learned a lot since launching Mentoring Brave Minds.

“Now that I’ve spent time with younger students facing similar learning challenges, I see how a simple gesture can have a truly positive impact,” Kaplan said.

Learn more about how the program works here.

• See Related: Livingston Teen With Hearing Loss Creates Mentor Program

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