Taylor McCoy is the November recipient of the Hastings Area Rotary Club Student of the Month Award, nominated by HHS staff member Kim Hoff, who met Taylor as a peer tutor, a program for which Hoff is an advisor. Hoff stated that McCoy was a dedicated tutor her sophomore year with a sense of responsibility and commitment, which led her to be the leader of Peer Tutors her junior year. When the pandemic hit, Taylor went into problem solution mode, and immediately set up a zoom format for helping students virtually. She developed a system for students to request a tutor online, and then she personally would connect them with the tutor that would be the best fit for their needs. This year, Taylor designed a whole new application process and continues to look for the most effective ways to reach students. She mentors the new tutors, follows up on everything, and responds immediately to every request. She has made such an amazing impact on the Peer Tutoring program, and these improvements will help not only today’s students, but the future of the whole program.
