By Hailey Lawson, Communication Specialist, Florida Virtual School. 

Florida Virtual School senior Anabel Caballero founded National Tutoring Honor Society Chapter 001, a student-led organization that has grown to more than 90 members and served more than 2,000 students.

As a senior at Florida Virtual High School (FVHS), Anabel Caballero has built a student-led tutoring and leadership organization that has grown to more than 90 members and served more than 2,000 students across the country. Founded at the start of her junior year in August 2025, National Tutoring Honor Society (NTHS) Chapter 001 provides tutoring, leadership opportunities, and educational programming while helping students develop skills beyond the classroom.

Caballero's leadership extends beyond NTHS. She currently serves as president of the FLVS Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) chapter, having served as chapter secretary last year, while balancing dual-enrollment coursework and other extracurricular commitments.

Building Something Meaningful

Caballero's involvement with UPchieve, a nonprofit virtual tutoring platform, introduced her to academic mentorship and eventually inspired her to create NTHS Chapter 001, but access to many educational and leadership opportunities wasn't always easy.

Living in Opa-locka, Florida, made it difficult to access many local programs. Rather than wait for a door to open, she started building her own. That mindset became the foundation for NTHS Chapter 001 after Caballero realized that many high school organizations focused on participation rather than leadership development and preparing students for life after graduation.

"It's become way more than just a volunteer organization," said Caballero. "It's a community where students can lead, collaborate, and create meaningful change."

Today, the chapter operates tutoring initiatives, leadership and marketing teams, and a financial literacy summer program that covers budgeting, banking, credit, taxes, and investing. In just over a year, the chapter has grown to 93 members and helped more than 2,000 students through its tutoring and educational initiatives.

Her Support System

Caballero’s determination is rooted in her experience as a first-generation college-bound student. While her parents strongly encouraged her education, she often had to navigate opportunities such as dual enrollment, college admissions, and financial aid on her own.

Her parents immigrated from Cuba and Venezuela, where access to higher education was often limited.

"They've always believed that education was very important," said Caballero. "They encouraged me to work hard, trusted me to pursue my own goals, and celebrated every accomplishment along the way."

Caballero said FLVS gave her the room to pursue multiple goals at once. 

"FLVS has been very helpful with flexibility," she said. "It's helped me build a schedule around my goals instead of limiting them like a traditional school system."

Along the way, FLVS educators have encouraged her to continue challenging herself. She says her 10th grade Digital Information Technology teacher, April Petsch, has been one of the most influential.

“Anabel is a student who is actively involved, and I was especially impressed by her drive,” said Petsch. “She exceeded the requirements of the Digital Information Technology course and earned a Social Media Strategist industry certification. That level of initiative speaks to her ambition, perseverance, and desire to invest in her future.” 

According to FLVS school counselor Beth Mause, Caballero’s drive to take advantage of opportunities sets her apart. 

“Anabel has built an impressive record of accomplishments through dual enrollment, Advanced Placement courses, active participation in DECA and leadership roles both in and outside of school,” said Mause.

Proud Moments Along the Way

Looking back, Caballero says she's most proud of building NTHS from an idea into an organization that has helped thousands of students. 

Her favorite part has been watching members develop into leaders themselves, serving as vice presidents, program coordinators, instructors, and marketing team members.

"It shows the chapter is creating opportunities other than just for myself," she said. 

One of her favorite FLVS memories came during a virtual DECA meeting when she was placed in a small group and asked to lead a mock interview activity.

"I enjoyed connecting with students from different places and seeing how engaged everyone was, even though many of us had never met before," she said.

Looking Ahead

Caballero plans to continue growing the chapter by expanding educational programming, strengthening its leadership team, and reaching more students. 

After high school, she plans to study finance and eventually build a business of her own, one that gives back to the community through its success.

Her advice for other first-generation students is simple:

"Don't let what you don't know stop you from taking the first step," she said. "Ask questions, research, take advantage of every opportunity you can find."Your starting point doesn't determine where you finish."

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