Tutors Help Students Succeed

Stumped by a math problem? Suffering from writer’s block?

For students at Clover Park Technical College who answered ‘yes,’ the Tutoring Center in Building 15 provides free tutoring to help students reach that ‘ah-ha’ moment.

“That moment when the student finally gets it is the most rewarding part,” said Dion Alexander, a staff tutor.

Dion is one of four staff tutors and a small group of peer tutors who staff the Tutoring Center Monday-Friday. For nearly a decade the center has existed in the Learning Resource Center as a valuable tool to provide additional math and English help. Dr. Dave Lingenfelter has been with the Tutoring Center since its inception.

“The Tutoring Center is unique with a mix of staff and peer tutors,” said Lingenfelter. “The peer tutors are on the same level as the students, and the staff tutors, we’re a consistent presence.”

The Tutoring Center is currently hiring peer tutors. Eligible applicants must be current students with at least a 3.0 GPA.

Danyelle Christensen joined the staff as a peer tutor in 2011 while a student in the Architectural Engineering Design Program. Her experience as a tutor led her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in math education, and she later returned to the Tutoring Center as a staff tutor.

Alexander also had a similar change of heart from his experience as a peer tutor. He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree and is now a math instructor at CPTC.

“It’s a good experience and I really like working with the students,” said Christensen. “Going to school and working the hours I do is the best option for me right now. It gives me a lot of experience for when I do go into teaching.”

The center offers computers and study tables, and is open Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s a drop-in setting with no appointments.

Many students have taken advantage of the free resource, and a lot of success stories have occurred as a result.

“We’ve had students come in that were failing, and ended up becoming tutors at the tutoring center,” said Lingenfelter.

For more information about the Tutoring Center, or to apply to be a peer tutor, visit www.cptc.edu/tutoring.