At Seton Hill University, several student-athletes serve as tutors in the Robert M. Brownlee Mathematics Enrichment Center. The Math Center offers course-specific tutoring, math placement, and assistance to students at Seton Hill. 

“To be an athlete and be an academic leader is difficult to balance and I have a large number of student staff that are doing it all,” said Amy Beninati, Math Center Director. “They are excelling on and off the field and then giving additional time for their peers and teammates to learn from their expertise.”

Senior biology major, soccer player, and physics and statistics tutor Alianna Resch, shared her experience with tutoring. “When I was asked to become a math tutor I was immediately interested. Throughout high school and college I was someone who didn’t like having to ask for help,” she said. “I wanted to accomplish everything academically on my own but eventually realized that asking for help is a good thing and demonstrates real effort. I was excited to help other students and hopefully reduce the fear of asking for help.”

Students may hesitate to ask for help when it comes to their academic performance. This could be caused by a busy schedule or concerns about needing math-related assistance. 

“I am proud of my staff ... they are excelling academically and giving back despite having to balance all that goes into the commitment of being a college-level athlete.” 

"I think that student-athlete tutors are essential for a successful tutoring center," said Jack Wagner, cybersecurity major, football player, and math and computer science tutor. "There is a stigma around athletes and tutoring and having student-athletes be tutors helps provide a comfortable resource,” he said.

“College math is rigorous, and I think the best way for an A student to maintain that A is by going to tutors with any questions, for exam reviews, study sessions, or just to do homework,” said Royel Fairfax-Byrd, sophomore cybersecurity and computer science double major, football player, member of the Honors Program and math tutor. 

Maintaining academic excellence in college-level math can be challenging. The Math Center at Seton Hill serves as a welcoming space for students seeking additional math support. 

“I am proud of my staff and that they have taken this to a new level,” Amy says. “They are excelling academically and giving back despite having to balance all that goes into the commitment of being a college-level athlete.” 

Photo: Tutor Royel Fairfax-Byrd (center) working with a student in the Math Center.