I am a graduate of Saint Mary's College based in Notre Dame, Indiana. I obtained my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Philosophy. For the past three years I have been working with students directly in the elementary school setting (K-5) as an LLI paraprofessional. If you are unfamiliar with the program, the Fountas & Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention is a powerful, short-term intervention that provides daily, intensive, small-group instruction, which supplements classroom literacy teaching. My role is to work with individuals or small groups of students that have been identified as needing further independent interventions or targeted instructions. In these small groups we primarily focus on their language comprehension, phonological awareness, reading comprehension, and other vital reading skills. I also provide additional classroom support for teachers whenever needed. While the curriculum we use should be given most of the credit for student success, I also like to think that developing a strong relationship with struggling learners, building their confidence, and making learning enjoyable plays a big role as well. I am currently in a transition to teaching program through Teachers of Tomorrow. I hope to complete my courses and licensure exams by this coming academic year. Ultimately my goal is to be in the classroom full-time, ideally teaching in a K-5 setting once again. In addition to my current role as a paraprofessional I have substitute taught in various classrooms throughout my building as our district has suffered greatly from a shortage of subs. While I am comfortable tutoring a wide range of topics, my passions lie primarily in English, Literature, Art, and Psychology. It should also be noted that while I have mainly worked with younger students in the past I am open to working with older students if need be. As a first generation college student/graduate, I also vividly recall the hurdles that needed vaulting, some of which I was totally ignorant of at the time. I recall the stress and feelings of fear, failure, and eventual triumph as I figured out how to properly navigate higher education. I feel confident I can help answer many questions first generation college students (and parents!) may have about the process. Overall, my goal is to inspire students to become life-long learners as they develop not only their proficiency and skills within their given subjects, but to cultivate a curiosity for and enjoyment of learning in all subjects both now and throughout their lives.