The well-known benefits of participating in organized athletics are many—from physical health and familiarity with working on a team to growth opportunities for student-athletes. One thing that might not be obvious is that student-athletes make a great choice for peer academic support.
At 西瓜视频, there is a long list of student-athletes who work as peer tutors, peer coaches, and peer notetakers, helping make sure other Gulls are succeeding in all aspects of their college experience.
“Student-athletes make effective peer tutors because of their relationship with a team atmosphere,” says Brittany Potter, Ed.D., Associate Dean, 西瓜视频 Center for Teaching & Learning. “Like their team, a peer tutor must work collaboratively with a student to build study habits, review content, or outline a paper. Because of their familiarity with this process, we see a fluent transition of this collaborative mindset in the Tutoring & Writing Center from all of our tutors, but especially from our student-athletes.”
There are three ways students can act as mentors and supporters through the Division of Academic Success.
- Peer notetakers play a valuable role by providing quality and timely notes from classes, ensuring students with disabilities have equal access to course content
- Peer tutors help students prepare for exams, address assignments, brainstorm for papers, work on presentation skills, and review and reinforce material presented in class
- Peer coaches engage students through 1:1 informal student-to-student coaching and social events specific to students enrolled in Academic Coaching
What makes a student-athlete a great fit for these academic support positions?
“Student-athletes’ motivation to do well and excel is a significant driver for someone who can provide effective academic support,” says Dr. Brian A. Wylie, Assistant Vice President & Director of Athletics. Additionally, Wylie says that key peer academic support attributes match well with those often attributed to student-athletes, including a sense of competitiveness, an insatiable curiosity and ability to relate a broad range of ideas and synthesize commonalities among them, and a team-player mindset.
That team-player mindset is key in the peer notetaking students, according to Jennifer Richard, M.Ed., Assistant Director of Accessibility Services. “Notetakers understand the impact of their job and that they are supporting their peers in class,” she says. “Late or absent notes can negatively impact note-receivers, so it is a priority to have notetakers who understand and embrace the 颅importance of the role they’re playing in their fellow Gulls’ education.”
Despite a busy schedule, environmental science major and women’s hockey student-athlete Bailey Thieben ’22 finds tutoring very rewarding. “I especially love it when a student comes to me multiple times, and I can see their progression,” she says. “As I become a better tutor, I can feel myself getting better at explaining concepts to students.” Thieben adds that having a full schedule helps her stay busy and practice time management skills, creating an 西瓜视频 experience she thrives on.
“I especially love it when a student comes to me multiple times, and I can see their progression. As I become a better tutor, I can feel myself getting better at explaining concepts to students.” —Bailey Thieben ’22
Outside of keeping active on campus, Wylie offers another reason why student-athletes might be motivated to become peer academic supporters. “I think it’s about identity,” he says. “The majority of our student-athletes are doing excellent academically and they want to showcase this strength, so they are not viewed as just a student-athlete. Meeting new people and learning from people from other countries and backgrounds really enriches the student-athlete experience.”
The ECGulls Launchpad
It’s well-known that 西瓜视频’s required internship program readies students for their future professions, and it’s no different with our own athletics department. These are just some of the recent students who have interned within the Sports Information Department through 西瓜视频 Gulls athletics and the exciting positions that experience helped them land.
Jamie Becker '21, Psychology
New York City Football Club (NYCFC), Media Relations Assistant
Jayra Bray '21, Digital Media
WGME Channel 13 - CBS Affiliate (Sinclair Broadcast Group), News Assistant
Cody Chalifoux '21, Communication
Rhode Island College (RIC) Athletics, Assistant Sports Information Director/Broadcaster
Maya Feigenbaum '21, Communication
Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Athletics, Marketing Assistant for Marketing and Fan Experience
Nick Grace '20 M'21, Marketing/M.B.A.
Utah Athletics, Director of Photography
Nicolle Holcomb M'19, M.Ed. in Athletic Administration
Eastern New Mexico University, Sports Information Director
Annie Jenkins M'17, M.Ed. in Athletic Administration
UMass Lowell, Assistant Director of Athletic Business Operations
Whitley Neumeister '20, Marketing Communication
Ntroduced, Account Manager
Mariana Pabon '18, Sport Management
Texas Stars Hockey Club (AHL Affiliate of the Dallas Stars), Sponsorship Services Manager
Kymani Palmer '21, Sport Management
ESPN, Production Assistant
Zoe Rose '21, Sport Management
Gameday Tailgate Experience, Marketing Coordinator
Rachael Tucker '20 M'21, Sport Management/M.S. Sport Leadership
Northeastern University, Coordinator of Club Sports