Stephen Harwick
The Corsair
Work is under way to establish a science tutoring lab at Pensacola State College’s Milton campus, thanks to the hard work of two students.
Tom Hunt, pre-med/EMT major, and Robert Czikalla, pre-med/biology major, saw a big need and have spent many hours lobbying to have the learning lab established, although it has not yet received funding.
The tutoring lab will be a resource for students seeking help with the sciences, and will enhance learning and potential for student success, Hunt and Czikalla said.
“We’ve been tutoring people for a while in our own individual classes, and I noticed that other than us and the teacher, the students are on their own,” Hunt said. “That’s why I talked to Robert about this, and creating the science lab as our going-away present to the future students of Pensacola State.”
To gain approval for the lab Hunt and Czikalla had to convince a number of administrators and departments that students would use such a tutoring lab and find it helpful.
When asked how students responded, Hunt said, “They loved the idea. We sent out surveys over a two-week span and received 100 percent positive reaction from students of all demographics.”
Pensacola State student Nena Gluchaki agrees that there is a need for such a facility. “A science lab would definitely be beneficial,” she said. “I would use it at least twice a week.”
The school’s limited funding means the tutoring lab will not be established right away, but Hunt and Czikalla are unfazed.
“While the school is all for the science lab, there is not any available money to allocate to it,” Hunt said. “We have received approval to work with the school to look for outside sources of money to fund the lab. We plan to have the lab up and running as soon as possible after we have squared away our financial problem.”