For Fox undergraduate students Seamus Donahue, BBA ’24, and Jennifer Farhat (class of 2025), the transition from being a teaching assistant (TA) to becoming a Diamond Peer Tutor seemed like a natural next step.
Both Donahue and Farhat got their start as teaching assistants for Fox professor A.J. Kreimer’s “Intro to Financial Accounting” and “Financial and Managerial Accounting” courses.
“As a TA, I loved being able to help students learn the material and succeed in the course,” says Donahue. “When professor Kreimer brought up the idea of becoming a peer teacher, I instantly applied.”
Receiving a stipend and course credit are just two of the benefits of becoming a Diamond Peer Tutor.
"I got started by reaching out to my professor to learn more about the program,” says Farhat. “I also talked to previous Diamond Peer Tutors to gain insight into their application process experience.”
Once on board, both Donahue and Farhat began contributing immediately.
“I got to be a part of installing a new course at Temple which was a special experience,” Donahue says. “Professor Kreimer allowed me to be very active while in class and even lead the students in problems.
“From something as small as explaining a concept in a new way to a student to reworking a course with a professor, your voice will be heard.”
Balancing roles and responsibilities as a student and as a TA can be challenging. However, the resiliency paid off and turned into a reward for both Farhat and Donahue.
“The program helped me strengthen my public speaking skills and challenged me to think creatively,” Farhat says. “Some days were difficult, but there is an amazing support system to help you with any questions or challenges you might be facing.”
The program is also a great way to get a real feel for what career choices are available.
“I hope to one day become a professor at a university, so the Diamond Peer Teacher program sounded very beneficial for this aspiration,” Donahue says.
Are you interested in becoming a Diamond Peer Tutor? Learn how here.