I am a graduate of the University of Washington, where I received two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Anthropology (with a focus on archaeology) and Biology. Currently, I am working toward a Ph.D. in Anthropology (again, with a focus on archaeology) at the University of Texas at San Antonio. I tutored elementary school students in math and Spanish while I was in high school, and for the past three years have served as a teaching assistant for numerous undergraduate courses at the University of Texas at San Antonio. I have also given a number of guest lectures on archaeology and my research, and recently taught an introductory archaeology course at the same institution. While I enjoy helping students learn a wide variety of subjects, my favorite subjects to tutor include English (literature and composition), world history, and of course anthropology. I received a 5 on my AP English literature and composition exams and enjoy helping students do the same. My passion for the social sciences and history have driven my lifelong interest in the archaeological past, and I love imparting such interest to others through teaching and tutoring. I have always been an avid reader and loved great literature, and writing is an integral (and often time-consuming!) part of being a graduate student; for these reasons, tutoring English is also a delight for me. As an instructor and tutor, my philosophy is that grand understandings of the material emerge from more systematic, step-by-step instruction in the "component parts" of a given topic. In the course of helping to teach something new to a student, I believe in introducing and explaining the pieces in an ordered manner so that he or she comes to develop a more fully grounded comprehension, and I am always patient and willing to walk through the particulars as much as needed. The success of the students I tutor and teach has always been of the utmost importance to me, and I dedicate my whole focus and energy to each tutoring session! When I am not engaged in my academic activities, you can find me hiking, taking my dog to the park, reading, and traveling whenever I get the opportunity.