As the seventh period bell rings, many students with  free periods swarm to the front of the school to go home or talk to their friends. However, others go to the library and stay there after their last class to tutor an MVHS student who needs their help. These students are known as Study Buddies. Study Buddies is a program run by MVHS, in which students volunteer to help kids that are struggling in certain classes.

“I think being a study buddy is not only important for an individual who is learning [the subject] right now, but I think it is a crucial to help the students that need help in math,” sophomore Shreyas Narayanan said. “I feel like helping our students is a very good for them to learn and enrich my [own] skills.”

For Narayanan, sharing his knowledge of mathematics with someone that needs his help is a great feeling. As a study buddy, Narayanan has also gained a lot of knowledge from his student and thinks that the relationship is two-way.

“When you improve someone else, you are essentially improving yourself,” Narayanan said.  “You feel good morally, and again as you teach someone else essentially you are learning from the experience yourself … I think it is not only helpful in helping them but also helping yourself at the same time.”

Being a study buddy helps Narayanan express himself and voice his inner thoughts.

“I feel that I am able to open my heart more,” Narayanan said. “I think last year I was really set on doing my [own] work … I just feel happy [because I am] helping someone else.”

For senior Nikhita Shanker, the study buddy program was another way through which she could not only help other children, but to also feel like she is being a help to students who need help.

“I was trying to find a volunteering opportunity that kind of focused on what I believed in,” Shanker said. “Something that I believe is that education is really important and education allows people to reach their full potential.”

Shanker tries to engage her students during her study buddy classes by doing some fun activities or simply asking them how their day was. By doing so, she is able to help her students more and have a greater impact on them.

“Seeing the growth in each of the students, I thought it will be more meaningful to continue with study buddies…it just feels really good when someone else has improved their confidence,” Shanker said.

Shanker believes that there is an deeper reason to why study buddies is beneficial to the student and the mentor as well.

“Study buddy is someone who helps the person with the particular subject,” Shanker said. “But in the long run, you become one of their friends and you start learning from them [as well].”