Meet Some Kaplan University Writing Center Tutors

Compiled by Lisa Gerardy, MA, Writing Center Specialist

The Kaplan University Academic Support Center blog will be featuring periodic tutor introductions.  We hope this will give our readers a glimpse into the team work that goes in to supporting students’ tutoring needs.  This week, we will meet some Writing Center tutors.

The Kaplan University Writing Center was created in 2004  by then Chair of Composition Dr. Kara Vandam.  Dr. Vandam and some full-time Composition faculty members created a reference library that could be accessed by all Kaplan students. Over time, live tutoring sessions and paper reviews were added to the Writing Center’s services.  Over the past eleven years, the center has grown due to the hard work of the tutors who strive to meet Kaplan students’ academic needs.   Today, you get to meet a few of them.

Molly

Molly Starkweather

How long have you been tutoring?

Twelve years

Why do you tutor, or what is your favorite thing about tutoring?

The most important aspect of tutoring is establishing a meaningful academic relationship with the exceptionally dedicated and hard-working students we serve here at Kaplan University. By creating a safe space for interpreting assignment instructions, decoding APA guidelines, and sharing challenges and successes in the writing process, I strive to work with students in such a hospitable and compassionate way that we do not realize until the end of our time together  just how much work we have done.

Sam

 Sam Zahran

How long have you been tutoring?

Eight years

Why do you tutor, or what is your favorite thing about tutoring?

I tutor to help Kaplan students to succeed and to excel. Sometimes all it takes is for students to talk to someone with a different point of view or a different perspective,  in order for them to understand an assignment for themselves. I try to be that someone. 🙂

Angie

Angie Roberts

How long have you been tutoring?

One year

Why do you tutor, or what is your favorite thing about tutoring?

I enjoy using my skills to help students learn to write to the best of their ability. I also enjoy the one on one interaction. The students have been so friendly and grateful for the help 🙂

Jay

Jay Busse

How long have you been tutoring?

One year

Why do you tutor, or what is your favorite thing about tutoring?

My favorite part of tutoring at Kaplan University is taking the stress out of compositions and unraveling the APA mystery. My goal is to have students leave thinking, “Oh APA? No problem.”

Robley

 Robley Hood

How long have you been tutoring?

Six years at Kaplan and 30 years total

Why do you tutor, or what is your favorite thing about tutoring?

In Live Tutoring, when a student using his or her microphone suddenly exclaims “Oh!” or “I get it!” or laughs, I know we’ve made a connection, and I’ve helped that person grow in thinking about writing. Then I truly know that the writer will be able to grow the writing as well.

Amy

Amy Sexton

How long have you been tutoring?

Five years at Kaplan and 18 years total

Why do you tutor, or what is your favorite thing about tutoring?

My favorite aspect of tutoring is the conversations I get to have about writing and learning with students. I also enjoy getting to read a lot of papers on a variety of topics I would likely not read about if I were not a writing tutor. I also love experiencing those light bulb moments with students!

Chrissine

Chrissine Rios

How long have you been tutoring?

21 years

Why do you tutor, or what is your favorite thing about tutoring?

My favorite things about tutoring change as I develop new skills and gain new experiences and responsibilities, but the reasons I tutor are rooted deep within me: Tutoring engages me with two things I love: learning and writing. Teaching did as well; teachers, like tutors, are lifelong learners, but the relationships and collaborations forged through tutoring have been especially meaningful and important to me. They’ve not only helped me develop my craft, advance my career, and grow as a person, but they’ve also let me share what I know, give back, and empower other learners and writers with the information, encouragement, and skills they need to achieve their goals. It’s a service, tutoring, and an honor.

Kyle

 Kyle Harley

How long have you been tutoring?

Nine Years

Why do you tutor, or what is your favorite thing about tutoring?

Tutoring, for me, has always been about the one-on-one experience I get to share with students. Sometimes in larger settings, such as a classroom, students find that their questions become secondary to the tasks at hand, so simply finding a place where they can express their concerns with a professional makes all the difference in the world. To this day I view tutoring as a way to offer students a safe space to better their understanding on any issue they bring through our doors. So, then, my justification for tutoring is simple: I enjoy seeing students succeed, even if it is one at a time.

Terry

Terry McLean

How long have you been tutoring?

Five Years

Why do you tutor, or what is your favorite thing about tutoring?

Students are the best part of tutoring.  I meet a lot of people who are working toward a specific goal; I am honored to walk a part of their learning journey with them as they work on their academic writing skills..