By Elisabeth Zarnoti '17

Her first winter term at Knox, Yaoska Mayorga '17 found herself struggling in her environmental studies course. “I felt like I was the only person who didn’t know what was going on,” said the first-generation college student from Los Angeles, California.

She found the help she needed to succeed in the course through the peer tutoring program Red Room. Soon, the bilingual student found herself in Red Room not seeking help, but giving it to students struggling with Spanish.

"I knew I wanted to use my skills in both English and Spanish. Why not help others?" Mayorga said.

Mayorga’s success, and that of many other Knox students, was recently recognized when the College Reading and Learning Association re-certified the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) for its peer tutor programs -- Red Room and Writer's Block -- with Master’s Level Certification, the highest tier of International TUTOR Training Program Certification.

The certification means that the system of academic support does its job in serving students, said John Haslem, director of the CTL. From foreign language to math and sciences, Red Room offers tutoring on a walk-in basis three times a week. Writer’s Block helps students with any step of the writing process, from creating a thesis to proofreading a draft.

"The collaborative and generous spirit of tutors is inspiring," said Laura Bush, academic coordinator. "Knox peer tutors are ambitious, curious, and intelligent students who enjoy working with others and sharing their passion for their respective subjects. They recognize that all students learn differently and strive to actively listen and identify approaches to subjects that best fit individual students."

Over the last two years, Red Room and Writer’s Block have helped more than 700 students. Those numbers continue to grow each academic term, challenging the CTL to continually expand and improve the services they offer.

"Red Room and Writer’s Block have evolved over time to their current formal status, and both will continue to change, in ways we both can and cannot predict now," says Haslem. "They must change to serve our students, both those who use the services and those who provide them."