I have received a BS in Cell and Molecular Biology with a minor in History from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, MI. I am currently pursuing a MS in Infectious Disease and Microbiology with an emphasis in counter bioterrorism from the University of Pittsburgh. I first began tutoring a girl with cerebral palsy who was unable to write and worked with her for over ten years and watched her progress to writing letters to full sentences. I also helped her with simple math and reading abilities. In high school I was a part of the National Honor Society and for community service I volunteered at the local elementary school where I helped K-5 with spelling, phonics, reading, math, and science. Students of varying age groups would sit at one table and I would help each one individually, staying on my toes going from one subject to the next. In high school I was also the associate editor of our school news magazine for two years and I took several Advanced Placement classes- US History, European History, English Language and Composition, Biology, BC Calculus, and US Government and Politics. In high school I was also a TA for an AP government and politics class where I helped students with their work in class. At Grand Valley I tutored a young boy in reading for two years, grades 3-5. He was uninterested in the things they read at school, but loved history and bugs; so to improve his reading skills he would read encyclopedia entries about bugs or short history stories to me. I made sure he was enunciating correctly, sounding out words properly, and not skipping over words. I was also a TA for a microbiology lab class, there I taught students how to focus microscopes and assisted with experimental procedures.
I have confidence in tutoring a wide range of subjects and ages because I love to learn and love helping others learn. Seeing someone struggle for so long and have them finally ‘get it’ is amazing to watch as their confidence grows and they blossom as a person. My favorite subjects to teach are History, Geography, Cell and Molecular Biology, and Microbiology. I find science in general a fascinating subject because I enjoy understanding how our world functions and how everything interacts. History I enjoy attempting to understand how certain events happened and how those events shaped the future. In general I enjoy understanding how something works at the basic level because I think it gives me a better understanding of things further down the line; whether that be understanding how a cell functions in an organism or how we pronounce certain letters to form a word.
I think that the key to successful learning is making whatever subject you are studying relevant to you, or if you are tutoring making that subject interesting and applicable to the student. For example, you can use baseball metaphors in geometry if the student is interested in sports or the functions of a cell to working parts of an engine if the student enjoys cars. I understand that some students are auditory learners and work better with pneumonic devices, while others are visual learners and work best with concept maps or flashcards. It is critical to tailor my style to each student’s needs and interests in order to help them succeed. The way I explained multiplying decimals may not work the next week when I try to explain multiplying fractions, for example, I have to be malleable to the student’s needs.
Outside of school and studying I enjoy hiking, nature photography, baking, cooking, and dancing. I also enjoy reading a wide variety of books including biographies, fiction, nonfiction, historical fiction, mystery, war, and romance. My favorite book is Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith because he wrote in such a way that was refreshing and the story line kept you guessing and actively engaged.