Contact: Katryn Conlin, Communications Director
[email protected], 651-385-6364
For Immediate Release
MSC Southeast honors college's professional and peer tutors during National Tutoring Week October 5-9
"There's nothing better than seeing the light come on and then seeing their confidence grow"
Red Wing and Winona, MN (October 5, 2020) -- National Tutoring Week is a week of appreciation for tutors and the students they help that is celebrated at colleges and universities across the country from October 5-9.
Minnesota State College Southeast is honoring the occasion by presenting its tutoring staff with gift bags and offering students who sign up for a tutoring session this week a chance to win a $25 gift card.
"This year we are celebrating not only the great tutoring that happens face-to-face on campus, but also the wonderful, impactful tutoring we are able to provide online," said Academic Success Coordinator Kate Parsi.
All MSC Southeast students have access to free one-on-one tutoring sessions with professional staff and peer (student) tutors. Sessions are held in person on campus or online via Zoom.
"Many students find it difficult to make the initial appointment with a tutor due to the stigma of asking for help," added Kate. "At MSC Southeast, we want to make tutoring the normal thing to do."
MSC Southeast tutors are patient, hard-working, understanding and committed to the academic success of their students. They model good study habits and share college success tips that students can take away from a session and apply on their own when working independently.
"As a student, having tutors that I can go to for help has made a huge difference in increasing my understanding of the material and doing better in the class," said one current student.
Another student said, "I was really nervous about tutoring through Zoom, but I have now made several appointments and I am doing well in my math class -- thanks!"
Kristie Maynard, one of the college's professional tutors, said, "Tutoring means to me being there for the students -- whether it is weekly appointments to keep up in a difficult class, explaining a homework question they are stuck on, helping study for a test, or proofreading a scholarship application."
"As a tutor, I enjoy restarting a paper, project, or problem with a student to help them figure out a new way of approaching the task," said student Ursula Weissing, a peer tutor. "There's nothing better than seeing the light come on and then seeing their confidence grow."
Kate Parsi explained that tutors not only assist with a certain problem or project, at the end of a great tutoring session, the student should leave feeling better about what THEY now know, not how much the tutor knows.
"Being an effective tutor is much more than being smart or being really good in certain academic subjects," she said. "A tutor is a role model and someone who can help the student discover what they are capable of and help them discover that they too can achieve great academic success."
"I can easily say that without the help of MSC Southeast tutors, I would not have gotten this far in school," said a current student.
PHOTO CAPTION: MSC Southeast professional tutor Kristie Maynard prepares to work with a student via Zoom from her home office.
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About Minnesota State College Southeast
Minnesota State College Southeast is a two-year technical and community college that prepares students for a lifetime of learning by providing education for employment, skill enhancement, retraining, and transfer, to meet the needs of students and the community. The Winona campus opened in 1949, merging with the Red Wing campus in 1992 and updating its name to Minnesota State College Southeast in 2016 with the change of mission to offer both technical training and the associate of arts degree. Minnesota State College Southeast is a member of Minnesota State. For more information, visit www.southeastmn.one.