KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — There is a new partnership between the University of Tennessee and Austin-East Magnet High School that focuses on improving seniors' writing skills, according to a press release from the university.
Students and staff from UT's Judith Anderson Hebert Writing Center are working with Austin-East seniors to help them discover their personal stories and refine their writing.
UT said a team of undergraduates, graduate students and English lecturers travel to the high school twice a week to offer tutoring appointments.
“A lot of students don’t complete their college applications because of their essays. The essay itself represents a real roadblock. Students are worried that what they have to put in the essay isn’t worthy,” writing center director Kirsten Benson said.
The partnership was initially funded in part by UT's Division of Diversity and Engagement and Office of Community Engagement and Outreach. Earlier this year, the writing center was awarded a grant that lead a research project to learn more about Knoxville's center-city schools and its culture in order to better serve the students.
“If personal essay writing is happening the way it should be, you’re really getting to know somebody and you’re going to not just affirm their writing but who they are as a person,” fourth-year English Ph.D. student and Community Engagement Academy fellow Kelly Sauskojus said.
The university has invested in a year-round presence at Austin-East through high school visits, college fairs and information sessions, according to UT.
UT's undergraduate admissions office works with Austin-East's staff to educate and support students and families through the process of applying to the university and completing their financial aid application, confirmation and enrollment.