My name is Rekha, a junior at Washington University in St. Louis, and I'm majoring in Global Health and Environment on the pre-med track. At WashU, I tutor Calculus II students through a group called Peer Led Team Learning (PLTL). The PLTL philosophy engages students to fully understand the steps in how to critically think of a problem. For me, I recognize that everyone's learning style, pace, and mindset is different. It's incredibly important to me to establish communication with my student(s). In terms of my teaching style, I tend to ask open ended questions both to guide the student and to go beyond the example presented to prepare for tougher questions that may show up on exams.

Aside from tutoring, I'm involved in a couple of nonprofits. I work for NoStigmas, a nonprofit dedicated to raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention through peer support. It has been a humbling experience to get to know the NoStigmas community and encouraging others to share their story through our platform. I also volunteer for City Faces, which is a nonprofit that creates a safe space for children ranging from ages 2-18 to express themselves in St. Louis. Although it can get challenging trying to control 20 hyper kids at once, I cherish the memories and creativity of the kids that I've bonded with over the past two years.

In addition, I love to dance--specifically Raas, a traditional Indian dance. The Raas circuit is a whole subculture for college students who love to dance to compete nationally. Our team has traveled to California, Texas, and Illinois dancing at various competitions. The feeling dancing on stage is one to never forget: the adrenaline pumping through your veins, the crowd cheering for you, and most importantly, the teammates dancing along your side.

I hope to help students through Varsity Tutors to the best of my ability and look forward to the experience ahead.