I'm a current medical student located in Chicago studying for my board exams. I was home-schooled during middle and high school and from this experience I learnt the importance of self motivation as well the need to have someone that will give you the extra push when you need it. The flexibility of homeschooling gave me the opportunity to participate in the dual enrollment program at my local community college in Gastonia, NC. It was during this time, my first experience in a public school setting, that I realized my love for tutoring. During a college math course I was asked by a fellow student to explain the concepts we were going over in class. She later told me about failing 3 consecutive exams and was on the verge of quitting. After our third session together she began to see improvements in her homework grades and was able to score an 88% on her math exams. To me the greatest highlight of my time at that institution was when we "high-fived" after she got her test score.
I transferred to Queens University after high school graduation; there I was offered a position as a physics and organic chemistry tutor my junior and senior year. I've always taken pride in helping students, and hold to the belief that anything worth doing is worth doing well; even when the job is tutoring. One Saturday I was stuck in the library for 8 hours with a tutee going over concepts in physics. Of course after our long session we both swore never to look at physics again, but the following Monday there I was at the Center for Academic Success with another student.
Throughout my educational endeavor I've being privileged to help students both in my class and the classes behind me. At Queens University I received the tutor of the year award, as well as an award for a research project I presented both at the school and at a national science conference in West Virginia. With all that, the greatest reward is when the grades of a fellow student can be changed for good, especially when they are putting in the effort.