Amanda Wong always liked tutoring other students. It gave her a chance to share her academic knowledge and refresh her skills. After she learned she could also make money, tutoring became her job.
“It’s hard to find a job getting paid to tutor,” said Wong, a senior at Dominion High School in Sterling.
Wong found one with Peer2Peer Tutors, a private tutoring service that recruits top high school students to help those who might be facing difficulties in their classes.
Company officials said they began hiring students from Loudoun County schools in January. About a dozen tutors were available at the start of the school year.
Hiring additional students is part of the company’s growth strategy to create well-paying jobs for young people who help their peers, its founder said.
“It’s really exciting to bring our model to new communities,” said Erik Kimel, 25, founder and president of Peer2Peer Tutors.
Kimel said he started the company in 2004 as a high school senior at Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Md., when he noticed several students struggling in their math and science classes.
He said parents were initially hesitant to hire as a tutor someone close in age to their child. “I had to convince parents that a student was qualified,” Kimel said.
The service now operates in five states and the District, and it has provided more than 3,000 students with 2,500 tutors.
Tutors are available for in-home visits or online sessions. In-home tutoring for 20 hours begins at $900; online sessions start at $1,000 for the same number of hours.
Prospective tutors must be at least high school sophomores with a 3.7 unweighted grade-point average. Pay begins at $12 per hour and then increases to $15 after 30 hours of tutoring. The maximum hourly rate is $18.
Wong, 17, said well-paying jobs for young people are limited. Aside from tutoring, the only job she could get was babysitting. Valuable work experience early on can prepare young people for their career goals, but getting that experience can be difficult, she said.
According to recent data complied by the Virginia Employment Commission, about 300 online job announcements in the county required at least one to two years of work experience. But more than 14,000 potential job candidates in the county have less than a year of work experience, according to the commission.
Kimel said finding the best candidates for his company requires some flexibility and word-of-mouth referrals.
“We recognize that the top students are busy. We’ve created a job that fits within their schedule,” he said. “They see the upward potential. We make it flexible, and they tell their friends.”
Wong, who has tutored two students in Fairfax County, said she is looking forward to helping students in Loudoun.
“It’s a great opportunity to work with students your age in your area. As time goes on, I think we’ll see more clients,” she said.
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