As another commencement season arrives, campuses across the country are filled with celebration—and reflection. For students who engaged in tutoring during their college years, either as tutors or tutees, the moment of graduation holds particular significance. These students are stepping into the next phase of their lives equipped not only with academic knowledge, but with a powerful set of skills and experiences that will serve them well in graduate programs, careers, and beyond. Peer learning initiatives help develop the kinds of competencies that higher education leaders champion: leadership, collaboration, resilience, and lifelong learning. As we celebrate the Class of 2025, it’s worth taking a closer look at the lasting impact tutoring experiences have on student development.
Tutoring as a High-Impact Learning Experience
For student tutors, the opportunity to teach and support peers cultivates far more than content mastery. Tutoring is a form of experiential learning that demands real-time problem-solving, interpersonal communication, empathy, and adaptability. It requires students to explain complex concepts clearly, to recognize and respond to different learning styles, and to build trust with those they support.
In many ways, tutors function like front-line educators and mentors—skills that transfer directly into professional environments where teamwork, leadership, and client or customer support are critical. Whether pursuing graduate education, entering service-oriented professions, or stepping into corporate roles, former tutors bring with them a track record of initiative, collaboration, and a commitment to lifting others up alongside themselves.
Building Confidence and Self-Advocacy Through Tutoring Support
For students who engaged as tutees, the tutoring experience reinforces equally valuable traits. Seeking academic support fosters self-advocacy, self-awareness, and resilience—key attributes for success in any post-graduation setting. Rather than struggling alone, these students recognized the importance of accessing resources and took ownership of their learning journeys.
Graduating students who sought tutoring leave college with more than improved grades; they leave with the experience of navigating challenges, leveraging networks of support, and building the confidence to persist. In graduate school and in the workforce, these abilities will continue to distinguish them as proactive, resourceful contributors.
Peer Learning: Strengthening Belonging and Career Readiness
Institutions that invest in peer learning programs like tutoring often see broader benefits beyond academic achievement. Students who participate in peer tutoring—whether giving or receiving support—report stronger feelings of belonging, higher levels of engagement, and a deeper sense of purpose in their educational experience.
These outcomes are not incidental. Research consistently shows that students who feel connected to their campus community are more likely to persist, graduate, and transition successfully into meaningful careers. Tutoring programs create spaces where students build relationships across diverse groups, practice leadership in low-stakes settings, and gain early exposure to mentoring and being mentored—an essential aspect of career readiness.
A Moment of Celebration—and a Look Ahead
As colleges and universities honor their graduating students, it is important to recognize the deeper narratives unfolding behind each diploma. For those who participated in tutoring, commencement is not just a celebration of academic achievement—it is a testament to their growth as learners, leaders, and contributors to a larger community. We celebrate the graduates who have tutored, been tutored, and embraced the spirit of collaboration that tutoring fosters. They carry forward not just knowledge, but the confidence, skills, and values that will define their impact in the world.
Congratulations to the Class of 2025—and to the campus leaders who make experiences like these possible.
At Knack, we partner with institutions to make tutoring more accessible, scalable, and student-centered. Together, we can help even more students build the skills, confidence, and connections they need to thrive—on campus and beyond.
