As students bustle in and out of the library during their busy days at MHCC, many are unaware that directly above them exists a place in which time slows down, patience sets in and encouragement and hope envelope all who enter.

The Learning Assistance Center’s free peer tutoring program is open from 8-7 Monday through Thursday, closing earlier on Fridays and is a support system which includes program director Heather Lang, program assistants Melissa Pirie and Julie Weber as well as a staff of talented peer tutors.
Peer tutor Megan Jones, 23, is in her second year at MHCC after attending one year at Concordia University and plans on becoming a high school math teacher, eventually going on to teach at a college.

“This will help me be a better teacher. I enjoy helping people who think they can’t do math actually succeed. It is something everybody can do,” said Jones.
Jones said she appreciates the challenge in tutoring math and explains that a lot of the challenge involves getting someone to overcome his or her fear of math. Jones helps them see they use math in everyday life and what they are working with is just in a different form.

Peer tutor Nathan Watson, 24, is in his third year at MHCC and is a geology major who plans on double majoring in environmental health and safety.

Watson was hired to tutor in geology, anthropology, astronomy and philosophy. These were all of the sciences never offered before which became available just last term. Watson said the more people ask for subjects not normally offered, the more they will be able to accommodate them and will show up in the statistics when people sign in at the center.

Watson currently tutors 20 hours a week, takes 12 credits and has a part-time job in forest restoration. Even with his busy schedule, like Jones, the enthusiasm to help leads the way.

“I feel good just about everyday. Every time I help someone and they get it and I constantly see these light bulbs go off in people’s heads. They get excited and that makes me get excited, especially that I was able to explain it to them in a way that they can understand, which is really important.”

Watson tells of a person he tutored who wanted to join the military but did not pass the entrance test. He was referred to Watson and the two of them started with the basics and worked their way up. One day while tutoring, the person began to cry because he was so happy he was getting the very thing that had held him back — his math skills. “It was really awesome,” said Watson.