At James Madison University, the Learning Centers offer more than just academic assistance—they foster peer-to-peer connections that help students thrive inside and outside the classroom. Whether through Peer Assisted Student Sessions (PASS), academic coaching, or tutoring in the Science and Math Learning Center (SMLC), students benefit from relatable guidance, collaborative learning, and a strong sense of community. These roles don’t just help the students receiving support—they profoundly impact the peer coaches and tutors themselves. In the reflections that follow, Kyler Gray, Sumu Vadrevu, and Ricky Gonzales share how their work in the Learning Centers has shaped their academic, personal, and professional growth while making a meaningful difference in the lives of their fellow Dukes.
Kyler Gray - PASS Leadership
PASS (Peer-Assisted-Study-Session) provides a plethora of resources and benefits to many students within the STEM, nursing, and business fields. PASS leaders provide customized instructional materials through evidence-based techniques for a specific subject and class to best facilitate independent and group collaborative learning. JMU students who attend PASS sessions will better understand content through activities that keep them engaged and target multiple learning styles. PASS was a program created not only to enhance one's understanding of a discipline but also to create study strategies and a community for a student to utilize as they go further in their educational journey. Students who attend PASS also have been shown to perform better than students who do not attend PASS.
The PASS program has been an incredible journey for me since starting my fall semester of my sophomore year until my spring semester of my senior year. Through being a PASS leader, I have been able to build relationships with my students, learn how to be an effective communicator and engaging teacher, be creative in my approach to learning, and support students through their academic journeys. Since becoming the undergraduate student coordinator of the program, I have been able to take the knowledge and experience I have gained over the past few years to enhance the program to better reflect the students and PASS leaders' perspectives through professional development session, administrative tasks, weekly team meetings, and improvements to the pre-semester training. As the student coordinator, it has allowed me to develop better problem-solving skills and enhance my adaptability. From working directly alongside Matt Trybus, I've been able to develop a profound emotional intelligence for others in addition to becoming a better community builder. The benefits, especially in soft skills, are numerous that have served me well and will continue to aid me in my journey to becoming a physician.
Sumu Vadrevu - COB PASS Leader
JMU students receive a lot of benefits from working with peers in the Learning Centers. As a PASS leader, it is so crucial for students to see an example that they can follow. We are able to provide essential feedback and tips to ensure academic success for students, as well as build a community for students to learn and grow. As an Academic Coach, I love being able to work with students directly. I have undergone my own struggles, and working directly with someone who has been in the same position can be motivating for students to build self-efficacy. Working with peers facilitates a community and support because we understand and can be of direct help.
My experience as a peer coach and PASS leader has taught me a lot about what I need to work on as well. I learn a lot from the students, and I find new and exciting ways to help with different personalities. I reflect on how to make myself better to help students in any way that I can. It has helped me build meaningful relationships and has shown me how important support and community is in learning. I have also gotten over my fear of public speaking while working as a PASS leader. I absolutely love being able to mentor and help my peers!
Ricky Gonzales - SMLC Student Employee
Students who come to the Science and Math Learning Center get the chance to work on practice problems and study for exams together in a collaborative environment. From my experience as a tutor, there have been students who would come to the Learning Centers from the same class, and I would encourage them to work together on problems. Another positive aspect about the Learning Centers is that the tutors are also students. This helps relieve pressure off of students who are nervous or feel they have to know everything like they would during a professor’s office hours. A very relaxed environment, and we tutors encourage students to be able to look at similar problems and be able to solve them using the steps we help build.
My experience as a tutor has helped me both academically and socially. I was very introverted when I first started out as a tutor. My hope from being involved in the Science and Math Learning Center was to get out of my bubble. After a year and a half, my ability to communicate effectively had grown; I felt more comfortable talking with students, and I saw how I could have a positive impact on those who came to the Learning Centers seeking help. We tutors try to be encouraging, and the best way to initiate that is with a smile that says, “Welcome to the SMLC.” Outside of communication, being a tutor has reinforced a lot of the concepts I first learned from my introductory physics courses. As an upperclassman, getting to work with this introductory material and teach it to those who don’t know or understand it has been very helpful as I have begun taking higher-level courses; I am able to recall and use that information to do well in my classes. Overall, this has been such a great experience for me, I am so glad that I chose to become a tutor, and it has impacted me in such a positive way.