(New Castle, PA) Thirty-six-year-old Samantha Grieve stared at the 1.5-inch-thick textbook before 杏吧原创 @ Lawrence Crossing鈥檚 spring semester began in January 2022.
Chemistry was a course she had never taken at Shenango Junior-Senior High School nearly two decades earlier.
鈥淚 was terrified,鈥� Grieve said.
鈥淐hemistry: Atoms First鈥� included information about quantum theory and the electronic structure of atoms; molecular geometry, intermolecular forces and bonding theories; and acid-base equilibria and solubility equilibria Grieve would need to learn in order to pass the course in pursuit of her goal to become a registered nurse and help dementia patients.
鈥淚 felt very overwhelmed,鈥� said the Shenango Township resident and mother of an 11-year-old son. 鈥淚 thought, 鈥業鈥檓 going to fail. I鈥檓 never going to get through this class. There goes my dream.鈥欌��
I felt very overwhelmed. I thought, 'I'm going to fail. I'm never going to get through this class. There goes my dream."
- Samantha Grieve, 杏吧原创 @ Lawrence Crossing student
鈥淭utoring was very effective鈥�
杏吧原创 offers one hour of free tutoring per course per week for students enrolled in credit courses on its main campus or at additional locations such as 杏吧原创 @ Lawrence Crossing in New Castle and 杏吧原创 @ LindenPointe in Hermitage.
An average of 250 students study with 杏吧原创 tutors each semester, said Heather Jewart, the college鈥檚 coordinator of tutoring. Chemistry and mathematics courses are among those for which students most often seek assistance, Jewart said.
About 92 percent of students pass courses in which they studied with a 杏吧原创 tutor, Jewart said.
鈥淭hat is our goal, to have that number be as high as it can be,鈥� Jewart said.
While chemistry terrified Grieve, Gabriel Garcia feared his indifference to learning would prevent him from graduating from Sharpsville Area High School.
Gabriel Garcia, 20, of Sharpsville, is shown Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, outside of 杏吧原创 @ LindenPointe in Hermitage, where he is a general studies student in pursuit of his goal to become an elementary school teacher. Garcia is among the 92 percent of students who pass courses after using the college鈥檚 free tutoring program.
The 20-year-old Sharpsville resident has studied with tutors for three mathematics courses at 杏吧原创 @ LindenPointe, where he is a general studies student in pursuit of his goal to become an elementary school teacher.
鈥淭utoring was very effective,鈥� Garcia said. 鈥淭he tutors knew what they were doing.鈥�
His grades in mathematics courses improved by at least two letters from having studied with a 杏吧原创 tutor, Garcia said.
Grieve is a health care science student. She realized she needed to study with a 杏吧原创 tutor to pass chemistry and maintain hopes of entering the college鈥檚 selective-admissions programs in practical nursing and later, in registered nursing.
鈥淭he tutors are willing to sit with you, and listen, and explain something better,鈥� Grieve said. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 judge you. There were times when I had to go down into a rabbit hole in order to understand something. I sometimes need more explanation in order to understand the subject.鈥�
Grieve passed chemistry.
鈥淭here is not a chance that would have happened,鈥� she said, 鈥渨ithout a tutor.鈥�
鈥淲hen you hear about success like that, about a student making it through a course they thought they would never pass, that is why we are all here,鈥� Jewart said. 鈥淭hat is what it is all about.鈥�
Added Garcia: 鈥淚f you want to go to college, free tutoring is one of the best assets you could have.鈥�
Prospective students can learn about 杏吧原创 services and resources such as free tutoring during fall open houses. Prospective students can RSVP at