I'm Maddy! I graduated from Pitzer College (of the Claremont Colleges) with honors (a 3.9 GPA); my degree is in Sociology and Organizational Studies with a Politics focus. I'm a Fulbright Scholar currently in Seattle working as a tutor until I begin my Fulbright Fellowship teaching English in Malaysia beginning in January of 2020. I truly love working with students of all ages, particularly in the realm of writing. I believe that writing has the potential to be profoundly empowering or profoundly disempowering and my goal as a tutor is always to work collaboratively with students to figure out how we can make the process as painless (and maybe even enjoyable!) as possible.

My expertise as a tutor is in the realm of writing; I'd love to work with you on anything from brainstorming to proofreading, and my experience with writers spans from academic essays and lab reports to college/graduate school applications and resumes. I'm also versed in working with students on SAT and ACT English prep and with younger students on reading, writing, grammar, and organizational skills. I have worked with students ages six through sixty and I would be excited to work with you regardless of age and/or experience. My students have received Fulbright fellowships, acceptances to top graduate and law schools (such as Stanford, Duke, and UCLA), and improved grades; while I don't see these outcomes as the most important part of the process, I've loved having the opportunity to work with them toward these successes.

Specifically, throughout the past four years, I worked as a Fellowship Consultant and Head Fellow at Pitzer College's Writing Center. Here, I supported students through all stages of the writing process, mentored other tutors, led thesis-writing workshops, and TA'd courses focusing on applying for fellowships. I have worked with students on academic papers, senior theses, college entrance essays, fellowship applications, graduate school personal statements, law, medical school, and job applications, lab reports, creative writing endeavors, and resumes. Throughout this time, I participated in over fifty hours of training regarding tutoring strategies, and I know that ultimately there is no one way to tutor: what works best is a collaborative approach centering each individual student's needs and learning style. Above all, I want to forge positive connections with students, and to make the tutoring process as fruitful and confidence-boosting as possible.

Beyond writing, I have been a tutor with a more general focus for the past eight years. I worked both at Youth Tutoring Program Seattle with elementary and middle school-aged students in all subject areas and at The Bush School with fifth-grade students on study skills and organization. In this vein, I spent four summers as a Day Camp Counselor at The Evergreen School, creating a fun, safe learning environment for elementary-aged campers--which I loved! Additionally, I've spent several summers teaching English abroad, and am experienced with ESL students.

While I'm new to the Varsity Tutors platform, I'm certainly not new to tutoring; feel free to reach out with questions and/or for references!