Every college student has felt overwhelmed with their classes at some point. Be it failing a test or writing a paper, college presents many difficulties.

The WKU Literacy Center wants to make sure that no student falls behind and every student has a resource to help with overwhelming class work. 

Kristy Cartwright, a co-coordinator of the center, said it is important that students have a safe place to get the one-on-one help they might need. 

“Some students come to college and aren’t prepared for the reading load,” she said. “They may not know how to study, and the center offers a place for them to ask questions.”

The center offers many programs, one being the Student Teacher Literacy Breakfast. The event is a four-part, day-long series hosted by the center. It allows student teachers from around the community to enjoy a casual breakfast and listen to lectures from members of the Literacy Center. 

“They get to learn how to do things beyond what they do in the classroom,” Cartwright said. “We provide them with professional development.”

The event kicked off Monday morning, with the first lecture, “Story Telling and Read Alouds,” by Pamela Petty, the director of the center.  

“Most of the student teachers are from right around WKU,” Cartwright said. “So it really affects the people in our community.” 

Other speakers lectured on topics such as technology in the classroom, progress monitoring and the importance of literacy centers. 

The center also offers a myriad of services to help students struggling with their coursework. Every other week, the center hosts a College Reading Success Forum — a short meeting aimed to provide students with help with studying for tests and taking notes in class.

“We do things like talk about time management and how to study for finals,” Cartwright said. 

The center also does things out in the community. 

Jeremy Logsdon, co-coordinator of the center, has worked with the Simpson County Detention Center to provide reading materials to the inmates. 

“We were able to help meet that need because we have a grant with Dollar General. So, we could get them the supplies they needed,” Logsdon said. 

Their partnership with Dollar General also helps fund several other community and campus projects they host, including the aforementioned College Reading Success Forum.

Logsdon and Cartwright both want students to understand that the center is available to all students, no matter what they are struggling with.

“When people think literacy, they think it deals with people who cannot read,” Logsdon said. “However, we assist with anyone who is having trouble with reading and writing in their classes.” 

Logsdon has always enjoyed assisting the students.

“I love seeing a student come in who is struggling and being able to offer them strategies to help bring their grade up,” he said. 

Cartwright hopes to grow and expand the center in the future. 

“I want to provide sessions that are beneficial to students,” she said. “We really listen to the needs of the students on campus.” 

Any student who needs assistance with any class is welcome at the center, which is located in Tate Page Hall Room 401. Students do not need an appointment and can come and get one-on-one guidance for their classes. 

“The best thing is to see students get it. They come in and are having trouble and then they come back and are successful,” Cartwright said. “They have a smile, and I know we helped them a little bit.”