I earned my BFA in Art Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and I am certified to teach in Washington state. I am originally from the Chicago area, but after graduation I moved to London, UK and taught grades K-5 in the local schools. I also tutored extensively in reading, writing and phonics for children of all ability levels while there. I loved teaching students from all over the world and learning how to best meet their diverse academic needs. When I returned to the US I began work with a refugee organization as a tutor for a 4th grade student from Somalia, and I realized how much I love tutoring in literacy and ESL. I always take a positive approach, and I appreciate the opportunity individual tutoring provides to celebrate each accomplishment and move at the best pace for each student. I value intrinsic motivation for my students, and my goal is to make learning enjoyable and each lesson something my students look forward to. I am working to complete my English Language Learners endorsement in fall 2015 for an additional subject on my Washington certificate. I love animals (I have a cat named Matchka), art, cooking and baking, yoga and learning about languages.