A Ladder to the Stars

A group of first-year students are gaming the system. Amongst the entropy of midterms, this group of freshmen, with the entrepreneurial mindset so coveted at Babson, saw an opportunity to take advantage of a desperate demand, crunching for the FME midterm. The group, Book2GPT, a student-led start-up partnered with Penguin Random House Publishing, noticed that fellow students were struggling to study for the FME midterm as they underestimated the material that encompassed the semester thus far. The start-up, fabricated from the mind of Vega Guo, a determined and savvy entrepreneurial mind hailing from Beijing, China, focuses on strengthening reading comprehension amidst the decline in reading habits and comprehension skills in schools. Reading comprehension rates have declined significantly since the global COVID-19 pandemic ensued; just in the last year children who spend time reading outside of class assignments declined by around 4%. Some attribute this trend to the educational dynamics over the past years, learning through a screen, yet others argue that due to technology and globalization in contemporary civilization it's simply an outcome that was bound to come to fruition with the changed pace of society, its norms, and dynamics.  

In fact, in “the Boston region, 60 percent of students at some high-poverty schools have been identified as at high risk for reading problems — twice the number of students as before the pandemic, according to Tiffany P. Hogan, director of the Speech and Language Literacy Lab at the MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston” (NYT).  The impact of pandemic-era education has been felt across every demographic, with the most marginalized and inadequately represented groups, including low-income families, disabled children, and non-fluent English speakers, enduring the harshest consequences. Even prior to the pandemic, in the beginning of 2019, “national and international exams showed stagnant or declining American performance in reading, and widening gaps between high and low performers” (NYT). This trend was only expedited throughout the pandemic and took a toll on all children regardless of prior reading comprehension performance while also further perpetuating the already existing education inequality within America.  

While in high school, even before the pandemic, Vega says, “I recognized the problem during high school. I often saw people using SparkNotes and saw that people would read a bunch after and still not find their answer to topics in the book.” Albeit her passion for books and education stemmed from even earlier in her childhood; her experience with her mom, who created a tailored education program for parents and their children in China, akin to Socratic seminars, that followed children as they mature, was the foundation for her love for literature and education.  From the tender age of eight, Vega was involved in caring for and mentoring other children within her mother's program, cultivating a profound appreciation for the significance of interpersonal connections in the realm of education and a fervent desire to assist others in achieving academic success. Vega thinks that this venture will “benefit people the most who have to deal with complex and difficult challenges outside of school while also keeping up with their ambition.” She thinks back to high school where many of her friends had “school, sports, and work until 9 p.m. and then homework after that.” When asked what it means to her to be at Babson, a school known for entrepreneurship, she responded: “I’m super fortunate to be here and embracing the heightened opportunities and resources here easily accessible within Babson and the great minds that I get to work with that can bring about real positive change and hopefully combat inequity.” It’s no small feat that from only starting in May of this year Book2GPT was able to secure a partnership with Penguin Road House Publishing at the end of July 2023, yet getting to know Vega it’s not surprising as the innovative and embracing attitude towards AI accompanied with the altruistic drive to help those who are facing a persisting issue serves as testimony to their success.  With an eye on the future, Vega hopes to “expand to larger markets and help people with reading comprehension and maintain nuanced thoughts from authors while being able to keep up with demanding workloads.” 

Every individual is inherently entitled to harbor and pursue aspirations. The story of Book2GPT and the unwavering determination of its visionary, Vega Guo, is a testament to the human spirit's unyielding pursuit of dreams. Looking back, I can't help but wish for such a resource during my high school days. Back then, I was juggling two part-time jobs, helping my single mom care for my brother, and simply trying to be a teenager. I know that Vega and Book2GPT’s understanding of this will make them stand out from the crowd, surpassing SparkNotes by many moons and helping people who were just like me achieve their dreams. This initiative isn't just a solution; it's a steppingstone on a larger path to bridge the educational disparities in America. It ignites a glimmer of hope, reminding us that even young, passionate individuals like Vega and her team are willing to roll up their sleeves and drive meaningful change. After all, at our core, we are all human beings striving to reach for the stars.