Harrison: Elmwood Park tutor

Certified Tutor

In May 2021 I will graduate from Eckerd College with a B.S. in Marine Science (Biology Track) and a B.A. in Spanish. Specific roles that I have been involved with in regard to teaching, mentoring, etc. are numerous. Ever since middle and high school I have worked with kids younger than myself. I have been involved with my church and been a senior intern and a leader on mission trips. As a senior intern I was in charge of planning events for the high school students and then executing them in a timely manner. As a leader on mission trips, I would be the person that other high school students turned to if they needed something. In high school I was the captain of the varsity soccer team which gave me the chance to be a leader on the team. I would lead the team in practices when the coach was absent and would ensure that the team remained as cohesive as possible. I achieved this by checking in on my teammates each week to see how they were doing. Continuing in high school, I was given the opportunity to be a peer mentor for freshmen students. I was in this role my junior and senior year and what it looked like was having lunch with the same group of freshmen each Friday and asking them how their week was and if there was anything I could do to help. Furthermore, I was able to lead Bible Studies with this group of guys during my time as a peer mentor. I served as someone that they could look up to and come to with any questions in regard to their high school career. In high school I received the Ronald Reagan Student Leader award which is given to one student each year who exhibits exceptional leadership qualities.

In the summers of 2018 and 2019 I served as a camp counselor for a Christian camp called Camp Timberline in Estes Park Colorado. During this time, I was in charge of about 12 kids ranging from ages 6-17 and I served as a soccer coach as well as a mountain adventure counselor. As a soccer coach I was tasked to develop a curriculum and come up with drills and games that would not only keep the kids engaged, but also allow them to improve their skills. As a mountain adventure counselor, I aided in the safety of over 1,100 kids while encouraging them to step out of their comfort zone. Some of my other duties while being at Camp Timberline were included but not limited to leading hikes up mountains at 2:30am, leading discussions ("chalk talks") with kids and encouraged them to ask questions about God and their faith, working with other counselors to ensure cabin cohesiveness, and performing skits to keep the kids engaged throughout the day.

My freshmen year of college I took LSDP (Leadership and Self Discovery Practicum) and then I facilitated it my sophomore year and I believe that those two winter terms really taught me about what it means to be a leader, teacher, and mentor and how to put specific skills that I have learned into action. For three years at my college, Eckerd College, I have been a Resident Advisor and I have learned many things in regard to leadership. During my time as a Resident Advisor some of my responsibilities were included but not limited to advising students living in my residence halls, establishing a welcoming community as well as a safe environment for residents, resolving interpersonal conflicts, serving on emergency response rotation for a campus of over 1,800 students, and enforcing and upholding college policies.

Ever since high school I have had a desire to work with kids (mainly middle school and high school kids) and my hope as a teacher is to be someone that kids can look up to, be encouraged by, and of course learn from. I am a firm believer in interactive learning! I think it is important to not just teach a student from a screen, but to allow them to have some hands-on learning because that is when I have learned the most as a student. The subjects that I am able to tutor are included but not limited to, Spanish (any level), science (biology, anatomy, genetics, marine science, etc.), and chemistry. I have a passion for teaching and I believe that my experience shows that very passion. Thank you for taking the time to read this and my hope is that you know and understand some of my roles as a teacher, mentor, and educator throughout my life.