Meet Kala Bryant, one of Knack's first tutors at University of Central Florida (UCF).
Kala was a Knack tutor from 2016 to 2019, tutoring students in business courses such as Business Finance and Econometrics. Today, she works at Bank of America as a Quantitative Financial Analyst. As one of the platform's first tutors, we asked her to reflect on her time at Knack and share her story.
Tell us about yourself!
“I actually started at Valencia, a nearby community college in Orlando, Florida. Eventually, I transferred to the University of Central Florida where I studied Economics. I also went on to earn my Master's degree in Economics from UCF. I was very involved on campus, in all things academic. I had several jobs while I was in college, Knack being one of them. After receiving my Master's degree, I applied for a job at Bank of America. I work as a Quantitative Financial Analyst on the stress testing team, which I've been doing for four years now. I currently live in Charlotte, North Carolina, with my dog, Freya, and we love it here.”
What was your experience like being a tutor on Knack?
“When I was in school, I was trying to make a buck any way that I could. I designed my schedule to have all of my classes on two days so I could work the other five days because I was paying for college by myself. I thought the best way for me to make the most use of my time and earn money was to tutor. I called it "getting paid to study". When I heard about Knack and how I could set my own hours and it was based on the actual courses I had taken, I jumped at the opportunity. I saw it as a great way for me to reinforce some of the concepts that I had learned in previous classes which helped with my future classes. It became a way for me to connect with other students and get an idea of their own experiences in the College of Business. The part I didn't expect was how heartwarming it was to receive a thank you message from a student after they passed an exam that I helped with. It was truly an awesome experience for me!”
Do you think your experience on Knack helped with your post-undergrad achievements?
“Yeah, absolutely. I think going into Knack and tutoring, I had a decent idea of how to approach people and make conversation. In terms of the dynamic between a student and tutor, it really helped me learn how to talk to people and teach them in a way they could receive it. One of the most important parts about being a tutor is that the information you’re teaching needs to actually land. It 100% helped me become a more effective communicator.”
What is Knack’s most defining feature?
“I would say, for me at the time, it was that the tutors were course-specific. It’s almost like having your own TA. That was a big selling point for me because maybe I still had the textbooks or syllabus from a class which helped me be a more effective tutor, as opposed to being a general economics tutor.”
Do you have any advice for current college students?
“Get involved in your program and what you’re studying. Making connections with other students can lead to study groups and knowledge sharing. When you have a support system around you, it makes the whole experience of going through college so much easier. You’re creating a network of people that will benefit you for the rest of your life. College is a big, stressful experience; I don’t think anyone can deny that. That would be my number one piece of advice: get involved and build a support system for yourself.”
Why should college students consider being a tutor at their school?
“The type of communication that it takes to tutor someone is essential. Having to translate or break down information that might seem obvious to an audience who doesn’t understand is invaluable in the workplace. At work, you might know all of the little details about what you do, but when you need to explain it to a manager or executive, you need to be able to explain yourself in a way that they can understand.”
