I am a graduate of the University of Michigan, where I received my Bachelor of Arts in Brain Behavior & Cognitive Science and Latin American & Caribbean Studies. During my undergraduate years I studied Spanish and Portuguese, as well as the cognitive mechanisms by which we learn languages such as Spanish and Portuguese. I was trained as a total immersion language instructor by the Ann Arbor Language Partnership and taught Communicative Spanish classes in the Ann Arbor Public School System for two years. I left Michigan for Nicaragua to work with a local nonprofit where I advocated for improved access to education in disenfranchised communities, managed an international volunteer program, and taught English as a Foreign Language to middle and high school students. While I tutor a broad range of other subjects, I am most passionate about teaching (and learning!) languagesespecially Spanish. I believe that the role of Spanish as an essential communicative and cultural tool should not be lost in classroom instruction, especially in a society where Spanish plays an ever more important role in our daily lives. Central to my personal philosophy is that learning languages should be fun, and I thoroughly enjoy making language personally relevant and interesting for my students. In my experience, this approach helps facilitate the best learning. In my spare time in enjoy biking, running, hiking, camping and cookingmost of which I can do with my dog Calala.