Meet Lee Juarez, Academic and Enrollment Services Graduate Assistant

Lee Juarez recently joined Penn State World Campus as a graduate assistant in Academic and Enrollment Services. She shares some insight in this blog post about her role in helping students with tutoring and other academic resources.

Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?

I was born and raised in Stockton, California. After high school, I attended a community college for a few years and transferred to the University of California, Merced, graduating with a B.S in Cognitive Science and a minor in Psychology. During my time at UC Merced, I worked as a waitress on the weekends and then found a job on campus for the Degree Attainment for Returning and Transfer Scholars (DARTS) program, which made me decide to apply for graduate school and pursue a career in higher education.

In May 2017, I graduated with a dual master’s in Higher Education and Comparative International Education. During the two years of my program, I held a graduate assistantship with Adult Learners Programs and Services and worked a bit at Penn State World Campus.

I’m currently in my first semester of the Ph.D. program in Higher Education, and I am a graduate assistant for Penn State World Campus Academic and Enrollment Support Services.

How are you assisting Penn State World Campus students?

I have taken on the responsibility to work with the Math Essentials course to prepare students for Math 4, 21, and 22. In this process, I organize and schedule when classes will be conducted, and I am involved in grading and reviewing our students’ responses to better understand their needs.

Penn State World Campus Academic Support provides a number of services to our students. Can you elaborate on the ones that you find most beneficial?

There are so many beneficial resources we provide that it’s hard to choose just one, but SmarterMeasure is an excellent example. This service provides you with an overview of your readiness for taking an online course. I find this source beneficial and interesting, because it gives our students the opportunity to think about what support they need in order to be ready for their online experience.

Can you share any success stories about students you’ve worked with?

With this being my first semester working with Academic Enrollment Support Services, I am hoping that I’ll have many student success stories as time goes on. I’ve learned so much about the various departments and services that support our students, and the resources we provide, such as Tutor.com, Math Essentials, SmarterMeasure, and many more.

For students who need help with math, what steps can they take?

Students in need of tutoring can contact us to discuss what resources will be best suited for their academic needs. Tutor.com is a helpful source, but we also work with Penn State Learning. With students enrolled in Math Essentials, we do our best to expose them to practicing their math, time management, and organization skills. In the course, they hold discussions where students can talk about their progress and how we can help them overcome challenges they might have.

What’s your favorite part about being a Penn Stater?

Throughout my time here, I have met so many people from various states and countries where every story is unique. I can say the same when collaborating with other student support services and departments. We each play such a unique role in the experience of our students that we cannot do this alone. As a Penn Stater, I am glad to have a great support network and be part of the Penn State family here at Penn State World Campus.