Paige Balut ‘21 tutors elementary and middle school students through the pandemic

“Pierce County Health Department has recommended all districts begin the school year remotely, and this can cause some problems for many families who may have essential workers in the household, multiple students or create fear and worry for parents who do not feel they are cut out to help their students succeed in the way a teacher cannot replace,” Balut said in her Facebook post announcing her tutoring. 

Balut has been tutoring for seven years and began with teaching private flute lessons, she noticed a need in her community for a math tutor and decided to use her teaching experience and math skills to fill that need. 

“I’m trying to address a lot of the needs that will come from distance learning. Many students really need the one on one guidance that is much easier to give while in-person teaching, especially in larger zoom calls it can be easy for kids to feel lost or unheard” Balut said. “ I’m hoping to offer supplemental material to help pinpoint any issues students may have.”

Balut is passionate about helping those in her community as she also works at a summer camp called Camp Agape,  a cost-free camp for kids with cancer and their families, which seeks to help families affected by cancer to connect, and gives their children a chance to have fun and feel normal. 

Balut will graduate this May with degrees in music and mathematics and hopes to continue helping others by pursuing a graduate degree for medical research in biostatistics.