This week, The Etownian had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Tainan Nunes, a peer mentor and a proctor for the Elizabethtown College Disability Services’ Learning Zone. Disability Services offers learning accommodations and quiet places of study for those who need certain conditions for their college learning and testing to run smoothly. 

On the second level of the Baugher’s Student Center (BSC) is the Learning Zone, a quiet and cozy nook outfitted with different kinds of seating and printers for those who need a getaway to get their work done well. Nunes, who started this job in the spring of last year, first heard about it through Lynne Davies, Etown’s Director of Disability Services.

After an influx of students led to difficulties managing accommodations, the department created a new proctoring position that allowed for Etown students to work shifts overseeing testing sessions for students with accommodations. The shifts are brief, occurring twice a week and clocking in at around six hours in total. Though this job may seem like a small commitment, Nunes has a lot to offer about what he has learned through his experience working there.

For those unfamiliar, a proctor is someone who helps prepare and watch over a group of students as they take a test. This is to ensure a timely test, prevent cheating and, in Nunes’ case, provide useful accommodations for everyone, especially neurodivergent students. These accommodations can include a quiet place free from distractions, noise canceling headphones, dimmer lighting, dictation for word problems, extra time and closed captions for videos.

Nunes was drawn to the position due to his own experiences with learning. After approaching the Learning Zone and acquiring extra testing time for an online German class, he began to understand the importance of these measures to help students. 

“Through my conversations with Lynne, I had a bigger realization for what equitable education really means,” he said. “More students than you would think need some kind of accommodation. Education should be equitable. No student should be jumping through more hoops than neurotypical students to achieve.” 

“The students are so kind and understanding, and you never encounter cheating. Academic integrity is highly respected,” Nunes said. 

It is perhaps best to think of these services as a tool to help students and teachers alike. For example, instead of a student having to email a teacher every single week asking to change the lighting of a classroom, the student can instead come to the Learning Zone and have that need met without stigma or judgment.

For Nunes, that immediacy is one of the most rewarding parts of the job. In one case, a student newer to the Learning Zone made a comment about how uncomfortable some of the chairs were.

Thanks to the program, Davies was able to supply the center with a few yoga balls almost immediately for more flexible seating options.

Nunes said that he took the job less for the money and more for the experience. 

“If I had any advice to give students looking to work on campus, I would say do away with caring about pay. Do something to get to know people, learn something or apply to a more low-key job to get schoolwork done.” 

For Nunes, this small contribution each week means ensuring equitable access to education and no extra hoops for students. The support and impact of even one student working this job is priceless to say the least.