William: Oak Park tutor

Certified Tutor

One of the most important lessons I have learned on my journey of becoming a physician is the value of a good education. Being knowledgeable has not only been beneficial my personal growth, but has also created opportunities for me to serve and help others in a wide range of environments. Examining patients in a clinic, tutoring WashU students, or talking to my friends about personal issues are some of the ways that I have applied what I have learned to helping others find a solution. Knowledge is also fluid in how one grain of information can be applied to a wide variety of fields. The knowledge I gained in biology and math help me calculate and dispense the correct medication and amount to patients I see in the clinic. I realize though, that I've only been able to come this far because of my strong foundation in education and support from from those around me.


My parents were the first tutors I had. They encouraged and provided me the resources to develop a disciplined, studious mentality and a strong foundation for my academic background. Their constant support lead to a cascade effect as it allowed me to pass the PSAT and be enrolled in Ransom Everglades, one of the top high schools in America. From there I was able to be placed in an environment with equally academic ambitious individuals which motivated me to develop a studious and disciplined mindset and habits. However, I never let me pride come before my grades and a not ashamed to admit that I hired a tutor to help me through my SATs and course works. He truly was an influential individual in my life as he showed me shortcuts on the SAT reading to help me reach my time goals and taught me new ways to approach math problems so that I could move forward. As a result, I was able to score 1460 on my SAT and be accepted into Washington University in St. Louis.


WashU presented its own challenges such as balancing fun and work, being in a new environment, and being challenged through the rigorous coursework. Again, I found myself asking my friends for their insight into questions and doing online tutoring sessions with my previous tutor so that I could keep up my high grades. I found that education is sometimes a team sport and that working together with others not only broadened my approach to problems, but teaching others solidified the knowledge I possessed. This lead to my scoring exceptionally high in an Intro to Biology course and being invited to become a tutor for the course my junior year. My role consisted of hosting study sessions where students would freely ask my questions and I would quiz them on the week's material. The experience was not only rewarding for the students but also for me, as I personally enjoyed seeing the growth of my students and hearing how about their high test scores. Unfortunately, I was not able to continue my role as a student tutor at WashU because I graduated a semester early in December 2016, and the course was only available during the spring semester.

To relieve that enjoyment of helping others is why I became a tutor through Varsity Tutors. By becoming a readily available tutor through the Varsity Tutor program, I can help an ever broader range of students with a more diverse set of subjects. I can adapt my tutoring style to personalize the tutoring sessions to the students own learning style. I am comfortable and welcome the use of multiple teaching aides such as diagrams, study outlines, or educational videos. I am currently based in St. Louis, but have no problem connecting with students all over the country. My passion for this job comes from my belief that having a tutor can make a substantial impact in an individual's academic record and personal growth. That has been my personal experience and I know that I want to have the same positive impact in someone else's life as well.