Alvaro Hernandez-Sandoval

Biography

As a Bay Area native, I understand the expectations that parents have for their students to succeed academically. Growing up, I discovered that I learned better when I received one-on-one support either from tutors or from my teachers, and this experience shaped my belief in the power of one-on-one support. I believe the tutoring experience should be tailored for each student. My focus is on building rapport, identifying areas of need, and creating a strategic plan to help students master challenging subjects.

My academic journey reflects my passion for the humanities. I majored in History and Spanish literature at the University of California at Davis. My love for literature continued as I pursued graduate work at Brown University, culminating in a Master’s thesis on the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges and the influence that the works of continental philosophers had on his short stories during the Interwar period. Graduate school in literary studies requires one to have knowledge of other languages, so I studied French during my research both at Brown University and during my time living and studying abroad in Europe.

In addition to my work with high school students in the humanities, I also tutor K–8 students across all core subjects and help them prepare for standardized tests such as the SSAT, HSPT, ISEE, and STAR assessments.

Outside of tutoring, I’m a photographer. I have taught photography classes to K-12 students in the past. In my free time you can find me going on hikes and taking photos of nature and city landscapes or at a bench writing a novel.