My name is Jacquel Rivers, you may also call me Jay! I am an undergraduate student studying Educational Psychology at the University of Arizona. Aside from my studies, I also participate in many different groups and organizations on campus.

Early in life, I often found myself in leadership roles, I enjoyed social interactions and continuously learned from a diverse pool of peers. As an older brother, I naturally became a very patient spirit. I also became accustomed to the fact that I will be a teacher in the eyes of my younger siblings.

I was given the opportunity to tutor math at my local middle school (grades: 6-8). I led after school math groups where I helped students students explore concepts such as Algebraic Thinking, Geometry and many other topics within their core curriculum. I had such a blast mentoring those kiddos. I aimed to understand all my students and their various learning styles, this allowed me to develop creative ways to explain curriculum. I really enjoy establishing relationships with each one of my students, each student knew me in a different way.

After I became an undergrad, I found myself committing to several different roles as a mentor to students in my high school. Working with high school students came to me naturally, I soon established a role as a paraprofessional at my old high school. My focus was primarily geared towards students who were performing poorly, students who struggle with behavior and students in an individualized education program. Within this position I lead instruction in a variety of subjects, these include: English Language Arts, Essay Writing, Government, Spanish, Algebra, Reading Intervention and Math Intervention. I enjoyed being able to teach different topics to unique groups of students. A mutual exchange of knowledge occurred in each learning sessions, I expected to learn something new from each of my students and from that I become a better educator.

I was a paraprofessional for my school district for about one year and 6 months. I then decided to serve in the AmeriCorp for a year at a non-profit called Youth On Their Own (YOTO). Through the AmeriCorp I was able to work with Youth On Their Own and their College and Career Development team to provide college and career access to homeless/at-risk youth in Pima County. During my AmeriCorp term I was given the opportunity to mentor and empower diverse students with a wide range of aspirations. I prioritized every student equally and gave each student one on one counseling and guidance in their journey to post-secondary education. I also had opportunities to help students study for various exams and assessments as well as edited tons of essays. Unfortunately, my term recently concluded. Since ending my term, I have been searching for new ways to positively impact youth and our education system. Thankfully I have now found Varsity Tutors, I am excited to be a part of a community of fierce educators devoted to improving the education of our youth in all grade levels.