Hello, my name is Marissa. I am a former science teacher who is comfortable with most academic subjects. I was born in New Jersey and spent my first few years there, before moving to Pennsylvania, where I attended high school and college. I am a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, where I studied Psychology, Technical Writing, Political Science, and Ethics, History, and Public Policy. Before that, I was a Biology and Chemistry major for two years. I enrolled at Georgetown Law School in the fall of 2003.
I realized that law was not for me and decided to spend several months traveling around and exploring Europe before moving to Los Angeles to fulfill my childhood dream of becoming a teacher.
After traveling for several months, I found myself in Los Angeles and received my Biology credential from UCLA. After receiving my preliminary credential from UCLA, I received my California Clear Credential from the California Department of Education. I am a graduate of the Masters program in Science Education at California State University, Northridge. I taught at Mark Twain Middle School in Los Angeles for seven years: 8th grade Physical Science for five years and 7th grade Life Science for two years. I also taught at the Archer School for Girls and Escuela Americana in El Salvador, as well as Westfield High School in Westfield, IN. I made a career change after my daughter was born to pursue IT so I am no longer in the classroom. I miss the interaction with students and look forward to tutoring as a side job. I miss the excitement that comes when a student makes a connection or understands something new for the first time, and I hope that tutoring will provide that for me and my students.
In my free time I can be found with my nose in a book, studying new technology , or spending time with my daughter. Other interests of mine include yoga, hiking, theater, and movies. I have a great admiration for artists and musicians. Favorite books include the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling and the Wicked novels by Gregory Maguire. These books describe magical worlds that have helped fuel a passion in me to travel, exploring foreign cultures and places.