Twelve-year old ice skater Sophia Berar used to struggle with her math classes.

That changed after she started using the Success Center, a new addition inside the Goleta nonprofit ice skating rink, Ice in Paradise. The center offers skaters a place to do their homework and get help from volunteer tutors. 

“I did really good on a math test from coming here, and I have been doing really good with science, too, and my math teacher said I have improved a lot,” Sophia said.

Up to 15 skaters a week visit the small center, which is sponsored by the Tuohy Foundation. It’s tucked away on the second floor of the skating rink at 6985 Santa Felicia Drive and includes desktop computers, children’s books, a large white board and tables.

“It’s almost like a secret spot,” program director Rose Donnola said. “It’s a nook where skaters can go and be themselves.”

Upon entering the center, a cloud of warm air envelopes the visitor, a change from the cold air near the ice. The lights are turned off, purposely, to create a cozy atmosphere as sunlight streams through the windows, Donnola said. 

The center, which recently hit its one-year anniversary, addresses a real need for the athletes to do well in school to continue playing sports while offering a space for them to decompress, Donnola said.

“Skating is hard psychologically, and so kids are already comparing themselves and competing with their friends all while still being friends, and so that is a difficult environment and that stress compounded with school stress,” Donnola said. 

Sophia said that before the launch of the center she wouldn’t have anything to do between lessons except “hang out” because driving home and back would take too long. 

Now, she can pop into the center between her lessons and get her homework done or get help from volunteer Alicia Swanson, a local engineer who has helped her for months.

Sophia credits Swanson’s tutoring for helping her score a 90% on her math exam at Laguna Blanca School.

“During the test, I was thinking about what Alicia would tell me and remembering the steps,” Sophia said.

She also believes that without Swanson’s help, her grades would be Bs and Cs rather than Bs and As.

“I am so glad it has made a difference,” Swanson said.

She is one of three tutors who volunteer at the center and began around the time the center opened.

“I think I have learned a lot of good tools in engineering for keeping work organized,” she said. “Sometimes I see kids come in and their homework isn’t showing their work or it’s not legible, and I can see the frustration a teacher might have.”

She began volunteering shortly after beginning ice skating at Ice in Paradise as a way to give back to the community, she said.

As the center embarks on its second year, Donnola said she is proud of the space she’s cultivated and the skaters’ accomplishments on and off the ice.

She recalls getting an email from a family who shared that their daughter was at risk for not testing into a standard math class, but after getting tutoring help from the center, she was able to place in standardized math classes.

“It’s cool to be a place that people want to go to, and they expect it to be a resource and they are excited to learn,” Donnola said.

Donnola hopes to collaborate with other local nonprofit organizations and grow the number of skaters using the center.