When I was in high school, many people told me that I was not a "science person" and that because STEM did not come naturally to me, I could never succeed in science. Fortunately, one biology teacher believed in me and inspired me to step out of my comfort zone and into science. Now, I am a PHD student studying environmental science. While my research focus is on microbial ecology, I have broad tutoring experience, ranging from teaching reading and math skills to elementary school students, tutoring middle school students in English and writing, and teaching biology to college students as a course assistant. I tutor in two main areas, literacy skills and biology, and teach from a middle school to GRE level both subject areas. One passionate teacher, who valued hard work over talent, inspired me to become a scientist and I hope that I can be that teacher for another student.