Peer Tutoring Provides In-Building Support to Wilson College Students

By Sarah Stone

As the semester draws to a close, many students at the Wilson College of Textiles are gearing up for long hours at Hunt Library studying for finals. However, they’ll also have some help steps away from their classes. 

Four students from three different degree programs make up this year’s class of Wilson College peer tutors. They meet with classmates in the Peter R. Lord Tutoring Center to help them learn difficult topics in both Wilson College courses and shared prerequisites. 

“In K through 12, you’re taking math, you’re taking English, you’re taking social studies, you’re taking science classes, but you’re really not taking textiles classes, and so this content is new for students in a way that a lot of other colleges’ courses just aren’t,” Academic Advisor Alyssa Jennings says. “Having tutors here that can supplement what students are learning in the class is just really beneficial.”

Below, get to know the tutors available to fellow students:

Dane Hunt

Minors: Computer Programming, Industrial Engineering
Intended Graduation: May 2022
Hometown: Cary, North Carolina

What courses do you tutor?

CH 101, EC 201 or 205 (ARE 201), MA 141, MA 241, PY 205, PY 211, ST 311, TE 110, TE 200, E 101, E 102, E 115, MA 242, MA 341, TE 105, TE 201, TE 205, TE 404, TE 440

Why did you choose to become a tutor?

I chose to become a tutor because it provides an opportunity to help my fellow students with their studies as well as reinforce what I learned from courses that I have taken in the past.

What has been your favorite course at the Wilson College of Textiles so far and why?

My favorite course at the Wilson College of Textiles so far has been TE 110 with Department Head and Professor Jeff Joines. I enjoyed being able to develop skills in using Excel and programming in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), which hopefully I will be able to use in a career after graduation. This course also started my interest in data analytics, which I have applied to other courses and my internship with Hanesbrands this past summer.

What’s your favorite thing about the Wilson College?

My favorite thing about the Wilson College is the personal connections that I have made while I have been here. The smaller class sizes and accessible professors have allowed me to make strong connections with both students and faculty.

Molly Pruett

Minors: English, Science Communication
Intended Graduation: May 2022
Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina

What courses do you tutor?

CH 101, ST 311, TE 200, TMS 211, CH 201/202, CH 221/222, PCC 101, PCC 106, PCC 301, PCC 350, PCC 462, PCC 471, BIO 181, MB 351, MB 411

Why did you choose to become a tutor?

The tutoring center helped me when I was first transitioning into college and learning the ropes. Since then, I’ve always wanted to be a tutor for the Wilson College of Textiles. Wilson College courses are so specific that I wanted to make sure I could cover a wide breadth of polymer and color chemistry courses before I decided to be a tutor.

What has been your favorite course at the Wilson College of Textiles so far and why?

My favorite course I’ve taken was PCC 471 with Associate Professor Sonja Salmon. Her lectures and demos on biopolymers prompted me to change my whole major concentration to the medical track. That class was endlessly interesting, and I gained a ton of practical skills and knowledge from it since Dr. Salmon herself has so much industry experience. She’s the coolest.

What’s your favorite thing about the Wilson College?

The fact that everyone knows everyone. Since we’re in such a large university, it feels personal and welcoming being in the Wilson College of Textiles. This was a big reason I chose the college in the first place, and I haven’t regretted it.

Jenna Segmiller

Intended Graduation: May 2024
Minor: Business Administration
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

What courses do you tutor?

EC 210 or 205 (ARE 201), MA 131, MA 231, TMS 211, TT 105, FTM 217, FTM 282, TTM 106

Why did you choose to become a tutor?

I chose to become a tutor because I have always had a passion for helping people. In high school, I was vice president of the tutoring club. We would tutor at an underprivileged elementary school. I would also tutor my peers in my math classes in high school. Now in college, I am a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority where our philanthropy is Read Lead Achieve. The mission of Read Lead Achieve is to educate and help ensure that the next generation has good literacy skills. 

All of my past experiences doing volunteer tutoring helped me learn how to explain information in ways students understand. It also made me realize that I enjoy helping my peers better understand concepts. There is always this sense of fulfillment I get whenever I watch one of my peers have that “aha moment” after I explain a concept or when they tell me that my help made a difference in the grade they received.

What has been your favorite course at the Wilson College of Textiles so far and why? 

My favorite course at the Wilson College of Textiles is FTM 282: Introduction to Textile Brand Management and Marketing with Associate Professor Delisia Matthews. The course helped me realize that I really enjoy marketing and could see myself having a career in it. My favorite part of the class was the group marketing strategy project. My group decided to create an outdoor clothing line for Patagonia that would be marketed toward Baby Boomers. I particularly liked creating different marketing ideas to target the Baby Boomer generation. It was fun to see everyone else’s presentations and lines of clothing that they created at the end of the semester.

What’s your favorite thing about the Wilson College?

My favorite thing about the Wilson College is the tight-knit community. This tight-knit community has allowed me to form close relationships with my peers and my professors. I know that I can ask any of my professors for help. Since NC State is such a large campus, it can be hard to find a community, but the Wilson College allows me to have a small community on campus.

Emma Stover

Intended Graduation Date: May 2022
Minor: Business Administration
Hometown: Hershey, Pennsylvania

What courses do you tutor?

ACC 210, CH 101, EC 201 or 205 (ARE 201), MA 131, TMS 211, TT 105, TT 252, TTM 106, FTM 420, BUS 320, BUS 360, BUS 370

Why did you choose to become a tutor?

I decided to become a tutor because I wanted to share my knowledge and passion for the courses that I’ve taken. Tutoring provides the opportunity for me to share my love for school with my peers and help them to achieve success in the classroom.

What has been your favorite course at the Wilson College of Textiles so far and why?

My favorite course that I’ve taken at the Wilson College of Textiles has been FTM 420: Retail Buying in Fashion and Textiles. This course is taught by Professor Kristin Thoney-Barletta, who is also the director of undergraduate programs for the department of textile and apparel, technology and management. I loved the combination of math and business concepts in relation to the fashion and textile industry.

What’s your favorite thing about the Wilson College?

My favorite thing about the Wilson College is the people! Everyone has a passion for textiles and brings a unique perspective to their major. It has been so much fun getting to know my peers and their different majors and interests.