You don鈥檛 have to be an education major to make a difference in children鈥檚 lives. Jessica Meadows is a sophomore studying management at 九色堂. She also works as the reading tutor for the Tutor (316) program.
Meadows began at Tutor (316) when she started at Wichita State in August 2021. In her hometown of Independence, Kansas, she participated in a program that focused on college readiness for underrepresented students. After her own experience, she wanted to continue helping underrepresented students learn and grow.
She currently works at Gordon Parks Academy in the Wichita Public School District. Meadows works as a success para in middle school social studies a few days out of the week, but she works primarily in the after-school program, focusing on math and reading comprehension.
鈥淚 started by helping kindergarten and first-grade children learn their letters and basic words,鈥� Meadows says. 鈥淎s I progressed, I started helping older children with their reading, mathematics, and social studies. I help guide the children through their homework or lessons, and I answer questions and assist with any problems they encounter.鈥�
Meadows also notes how this position helped her be more flexible to changes, adaptive to different comprehension and skill levels and more empathetic and understanding of different situations.
鈥淢y experience has helped me feel more confident in the field of management,鈥� Meadows says. 鈥淚 figure if I can manage to keep elementary students focused on their work, I can manage changes within a business.鈥�
She also says those who work with students, regardless of their major, will learn something about themselves and their goals as they help inspire the kids they work with.
鈥淭hrough Tutor (316), I see how my assistance helps not only children's grades but also their confidence in themselves,鈥� Meadows says. 鈥淪eeing how my support gets children excited to learn is something I treasure.鈥�
Tutor (316) provides Wichita State students part-time employment opportunities to work with local schools in classrooms and after-school programs.
For more information, contact the Shocker Career Accelerator at (316) 978-3688, SCA@wichita.edu, or visit wichita.edu/Career. You can also stop by in person at the Marcus Welcome Center, Suite 139, on the Wichita State campus.