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Need Help with School Work? Meet Alumni Tutoring!

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues well into the month of October, PUSD middle and high school students  are receiving their education  online, through zoom classes. Without the personalized attention normally provided through in-person education, many students are struggling to understand academic concepts needed to succeed in their classes.

Tessa Tricarico, MC graduate and creator of Alumni Tutoring | Photo Courtesy of Tessa Tricarico

 Tessa Tricarico, an MC alumni and current freshman at Point Loma Nazarene University, created a company to give students in PUSD the extra help they may need. Alumni Tutoring brings together a network of PUSD highschool alumni who are available to tutor students in a variety of different school subjects. 

As a student who benefitted from one-on-one tutoring in her high school years, Tricarico saw the need for personalized academic studies.

“I have been tutoring by myself since freshman year, however I was inspired to create an official business and hire others because of the pandemic,”  Tricarico said. “I realized there was a need in the community that I could help with so I used that as my driving force.”  

In addition to Tricarico, Alumni Tutoring currently has seven other employees, ready to assist students in need via Zoom, Skype, and Google Duo. As students contact Tricarico, she scans over her employees’ expertise and connects her clients with the tutor who fits best.

“Once I learn a little about each client, general things like their grade and what subject they need help in, I check my list of tutors. I decide on the tutor who has the best skill set and availability for each client,” said Tricarico.

Current Flyer for Alumni Tutoring | Photo Courtesy Tessa Tricarico

As of now, Alumni Tutoring has six consistent clients, but also assists students who may need one session before a test or desire a more in-depth understanding of a concept they were taught in class. The hour-long sessions provide the clientele with a tighter grasp on a given subject, and the tutor with another $30 in their bank account. 

“I decided this was a good price for tutors, given they are in college and probably are working to save money to pay off debt,” said Tricarico. 

Tricarico also found  sentimental inspiration from one of her old teachers who saw a need for their student population, which helped her kick-start her business. 

“I was also inspired by my sixth grade math teacher. […] I decided that because of the lack of communication and personal assistance that is a result of virtual classes, the most helpful network of tutors that I could bring together were students who had just been in these classes, but in person,” said Tricarico.

Alumni Tutoring’s Instagram Page | Photo Courtesy Tessa Tricarico

Tessa Tricarico is confident that Alumni Tutors will continue to grow and help students throughout PUSD, as well as adapt to any changing Covid-19 circumstances. Alumni Tutors are available to help in math, english, history, science, and Spanish, as well as several electives. To contact Alumni Tutors, any students or parents can email [email protected], and include the grade level, subject in which one needs help, and either a phone number or email address in which a tutor can contact you. Alumni Tutoring also has an Instagram account, which introduces it’s current tutors and publicizes it’s email and website.

Written by Kate Heald

Hey, thanks for checking out my article! I am the Features section editor and run the Instagram account for The MC Sun (@themcsun). I am a senior at MC, and am so excited to be studying Journalism in the fall at a four-year college!

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