SOU English Department in the Community
The Tutoring Center at SOU: English-Major students Enhancing Student Success on Campus
By Annalynn Mueller, junior English Major
February 19, 2024
Pictured above: The Writing Center, located on the first floor of the Hannon Library
The SOU Tutoring Center, located on the first floor of the Hannon Library, is a great resource for current students to get help on projects and papers. Angelyn Pratchios Gay is the new manager of the Tutoring Center and shares that their mission is to strive to empower students and provide them with the tools they need to be successful. She hopes that through the Tutoring Center, students will be able to find “a plan for improving their work, new tools, or perspectives on the concepts that they are currently working through.” Several English majors and minors work as tutors and are great resources to other students.
This year the Tutoring Center is under the new leadership of Angelyn Pratchios Gay. Angelyn graduated from the University of Central Florida with a degree in political science and then moved to Ashland in 2014, after her husband got a job at SOU. She has worked part-time for Omar’s Restaurant doing bookkeeping, payroll, and management, but decided it was time to get back to working full-time last year. She notes that many skills that she picked up working for the restaurant industry like multitasking, service, management, budgeting, and organization have been helpful in her job flow at the library.
Pictured Above: Angelyn Pratchios Gay
As Coordinator, Angelyn manages the Library Student Support Services like the Tutoring Center and the Library Tech Help Desk. She also helps promote all the free services that the library has to offer. Her day-to-day tasks vary depending on the week of the term, but 75% of her job is “working with people,” which includes hiring, training, and managing 20+ employees as well as supporting students in the Tech Help area and Library Computer Lab. The other 25% of her job is “administrative tasks” such as “approving payroll and tracking schedules, keeping the website and appointment schedule up to date, overseeing budgets and supply purchasing, and assisting in Library outreach and promotion.” She also manages the physical space of the library help desk, study rooms, computer labs, and of course the Tutoring Center. She loves working in the library and feels as if it is the heart of the university.
“I can’t believe I get paid to be surrounded by books and help people directly…My favorite parts are interacting with students and finding ways to make their lives a little easier or more empowered.”
– Angelyn Pratchios Gay
The Tutoring Center has two parts, the Writing Center and the Math and Science Lab. They have different hours term-by-term since the tutors are also students and have busy schedules, but all of their current hours can be found on the Tutoring Center website. There is also an updated schedule posted outside of the Tutoring Center.
Pictured Above: Tutors hard at work during a session
Students can make tutoring appointments that are 30 or 60 minutes, and choose between in-person or Zoom sessions. Angelyn highly recommends in-person tutoring: “There still is something about face-to-face interactions that I think makes for a better experience.” Students can also skip appointments altogether and just walk in during the Tutoring Center’s operating hours. Sometimes students will use the Tutoring Center as a place to work independently and collaborate with tutors when needed, which is also welcomed and encouraged.
“All of the tutoring in the Library is free! I think it is important to not be intimidated by tutoring or the library in general. All the free services the Library offers are included with your tuition, so as a student, you should utilize it as much as possible!”
– Angelyn Pratchios Gay
English major, Connor Babbit, is a tutor at the Writing Center. Connor is a great resource for essay planning and brainstorming. He can help students untangle ideas and organize them in a proper way. Connor has a passion for English and is a highly skilled writer. Another great Writing Center tutor, Sky Church, a Creative Writing major and English minor, is also a great resource. Sky likes helping students with any point in the writing process and appreciates getting walk-ins on slow days: “I love teaching students tips that I use to create my own essays and check my own grammar. For example, helping students create outlines for essays is one of the most exciting tasks for me.” Connor and Sky are great resources and use the skills they have learned in English classes, as well as their own talents to help the SOU student body.
Even if you are not new to SOU, the Tutoring Center is still extremely valuable. Angelyn states that “we can all appreciate a fresh eye, and need validation to help build our confidence.” She encourages students to just walk in if they are feeling apprehensive about visiting the Tutoring Center and reminds them that “utilizing tutoring does not mean that you are bad at a subject or have poor writing. It means you are smart, proactive, and open to improving your skills.” She notes that the tutors use the other tutors on a regular basis, and that she even utilized the Tutoring Center while writing out her interview for this blog post!
“The Tutoring Center is a judgment-free zone! Our tutors have seen it all and are there to help you improve your skills and give you a plan of action.”
– Angelyn Pratchios Gay
Angelyn hopes to expand the Tutoring Center and hopes that students will start using it regularly on the first day of classes: “Nothing would make me more pleased than to have to expand to having more tutors and to be open more hours.” She would also love to have more tutoring-based library events and create a comfy waiting room with a fireplace and club chairs! For now, the Writing Center and Tutoring Center will work hard to ensure that “students become more skillful, more effective, more confident, and more resourceful writers.”
If you are interested in becoming a tutor, or have any more questions about this wonderful campus organization, please contact Angelyn for more information. Students interested in tutoring opportunities are also encouraged to register for a 2 credit class in spring term. WR 200,“The Writing Center in Theory and Practice,” is a hybrid style workshop with in-person meetings every Friday from 3:30PM to 4:20PM in the library, room 117.
You can stay up-to-date with all of the exciting things happening in our department by following the English Program on Instagram (souenglish) and Facebook and by subscribing to this blog!
Interested in being featured on the English Program blog? Or know someone who is interested? Contact English Program blogger Annalynn Mueller at muellera1@sou.edu .
Learn more about SOU’s English Programs:
English Home Page | English BA/BS | English Minor | TESOL Certificate Program
