Writing center tutors balance life as student-athletes

CLEVELAND, Ohio– The Indiana Tech Writing Center is home to many tutors and student-athletes who roam the campus. The balance of being a student-athlete-tutor may pose a challenge to some, but others have said they are certain they were supposed to do this to earn some extra cash and experience during their time.

Kayla Saffran, a senior education major, participates as a tutor in the Writing Center while also balancing her time as both a student and an athlete. Saffran is a part of the women’s soccer team on campus and attends The University of Saint Francis for a majority of her coursework.

“My typical everyday schedule can be hectic at times,” Saffran mentioned. “Usually, I’m in class from 8:30 a.m. to about 2:30 p.m. with a lunch break and little time to prepare for my next accolade of the day. After my classwork, I have training for soccer, which is usually a lift and small session with the ball; then I work in the Writing Center from about 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., depending on the day.”

Kayla Saffran, senior student-athlete-tutor

Down time is something that is not applicable to a student-athlete schedule, especially one who is also a tutor on campus. With this being said, some of the tutors are also involved in extracurriculars to where their schedules are very tight. Christina Wynn, a senior communication major, also takes on this student-athlete-tutor role at Indiana Tech. Wynn mentioned that staying organized was crucial to balancing her schedules.

“I use my planner religiously,” Wynn said. “I write down literally every single hour of my day to where everything is sectioned off to dedicate time to it. I definitely get stressed out just looking at my planner because sometimes I have to map out when to shower or eat, which can be overwhelming at times. The nice thing about the Writing Center is its flexibility. I can get some work done while being there and pencil in hours of my free time to work.”

Christina Wynn, senior student-athlete-tutor

Balancing school work, athletics and tutoring can be a challenge, but Saffran and Wynn have taken this challenge head-on in trying to manage this lifestyle. Social life is also a key component to the college lifestyle, but in this scenario, it can be very minimal, they said. 

“I don’t really have a social life,” Wynn mentioned. “During the night time, I’ll watch a movie with my boyfriend and occasionally go out. I really don’t have the time to go out, and I’d honestly rather focus on my career goals and myself personally instead of entertaining others for a night out.”

Christina Wynn

The Writing Center does pose benefits for the students who work there. The students are paid and also can use their time at the Writing Center as resume builders for potential employers in the future. Saffran and Wynn both had mentioned that this is an attractive feature that the Writing Center has for its employees.

“I really wanted to make some extra spending money for myself,” Saffran said. “Having the opportunity to do this while being on campus helps me stay more connected to my peers at Tech since I also attend Saint Francis University down the street. I am going into teaching, and I love to write, so being paid for something I enjoy doing and am good at is refreshing. Being a tutor also looks very good on a resume, considering the writing background.” 

Kayla Saffran

Wynn and Saffran both love to write and can use their writing knowledge helping others and learning more of their abilities along the way. They said the Writing Center is very beneficial to a student-athlete-tutor, giving flexible schedules, the ability to meet new people and providing work experience.

“It’s really convenient having an on-campus job,” Wynn said. “My whole life is on campus, so this is a huge benefit. I also get to meet a lot of new people, and the one-on-one setting is nice. I enjoy talking with my co-workers and meeting new people and even helping out some of my teammates. I really want to get into the journalism field, so this job helps build up my resume and highlight my experience within the journalism and writing fields.”

Christina Wynn

For more information about the Writing Center and other tutors, click the following link: https://www.indianatech.edu/writing-center/.