Survivor, Mentor, Dreamer: How Gary Corbin Found His Path Through The City Tutors
Gary Corbin’s life is a story of survival and reinvention: bone cancer at 17, an amputation, heart failure, and severe depression.
“I’ve survived more than most,” Gary says. “But what matters is what you do with survival.”
After nearly breaking into Hollywood and returning to New York with a master’s in counseling and rehabilitation, Gary was searching for purpose during the pandemic. That’s when he found The City Tutors—New York’s educational subway: free, flexible tutoring and career mentoring designed to help people move forward, no matter where they start.
Mentoring: Helping Others Move Forward
Gary began mentoring students facing barriers he understood deeply:
A college student who’d left school after a mental health crisis—he connected her to vocational rehab and helped her rebuild confidence. She’s now back in school, thriving as a straight-A student.
A single mom raising a special-needs child—Gary supported her while she balanced school, work, and parenting. She went on to earn her master’s and land a city job.
An aspiring writer with disabilities—Gary encouraged her to write and is now helping her prepare to share her work publicly through a program he’s creating for writers with disabilities.
“I call them my children,” Gary says. “Helping them overcome challenges—it’s like watching someone grab hold of their future again.”
Being Mentored: Building His Own Path
At the same time, Gary was nurturing his dream: Uncle Gary’s Global Media, an arts and storytelling venture amplifying voices like his. His mentors helped shape that vision.
His sessions with Hersh Lakdawala of Paramount stand out most.
“Hersh didn’t just understand my goals—he gave me a framework,” Gary says. “He taught me how to separate my art from the business side, set realistic goals, and build something step by step. It made me feel like this could really happen.”
But Gary didn’t stop there. He also met with:
Andrew Diamond, social work mentor, who guided him on how to leverage his counseling degree and navigate licensing requirements.
Business mentor Ariel Blum, and Legal and Media mentor Randy Shapiro, who gave him practical insights into marketing, finance, and operations—insights he now threads into his plans for Uncle Gary’s.
“Every mentor was supportive,” Gary says. “They didn’t dismiss my ideas. They showed me paths I hadn’t seen and gave me tools I didn’t know I needed.”
Why City Tutors Matters
For Gary, this mix of giving and receiving support is exactly why The City Tutors feels like an “educational subway.”
“I’ve mentored, been mentored, and met people from every age group and background,” he says. “It’s kept me learning, kept me engaged, and helped me keep building my next chapter.”