Some days, Deonte Mackie feels like he spends more time at the tutoring center than in class.

“Tutors here are a lot more hands on. They know what you are going through, and they know what you are trying to accomplish,” said Mackie, a Mechanical Engineering major. “A lot of them were in my classes, so it was refreshing to see someone from your class there.” 

He feels it is a hidden PNW treasure.

“I’d never been to a tutoring center where they help you,” he said. That changed when he walked into the facility on the Hammond campus. Mackie spent over 8 hours a week in the tutoring center located in Gyte 102. He utilized this resource to keep up with his Physics and Math classes.

The classes he needed help with the most are the classes he has since learned to love.

“Engineering and Physics aren’t that different from each other,” he said. “For grad school, or even for a doctorate, I want to go for Physics or Astrophysics. I would like to do something that stimulates me and makes me think about things deeper.”

Mackie said he decided to visit the tutoring center because he was already friends with some of the staff. The center tries to match students with people who can help them the most. The tutoring assistance of his fellow classmates helped him pass and he deeply appreciated it.

His advice to fellow students? 

“Don’t be scared to go in there. The students in there run it, but there are adults in the back,” he said laughing. 

There are currently six tutors between the Hammond and Westville campus.

The Tutoring Center is part of Student Academic Support. Students can contact Student Academic Support at [email protected].