Alex Carlson

A native of the California Bay Area, my love of sunshine and gastronomy will come as no surprise. After an intense high school experience at Menlo-Atherton, I earned my BS in civil engineering from UC Berkeley. It was while studying for my last set of finals that I truly appreciated that education is not limited to the classroom environment and does not end with graduation. I believe that the more you learn, the more metaphorical and physical doors you open for yourself and the more vibrant the adventures you will enjoy throughout life.

My earliest experience teaching was working as a STEM tutor for walk-in students and as a teaching assistant for trigonometry and pre-calculus courses at a community college. I quickly realized that a strong academic foundation is not universal. Some of my students, intimidated by math, often wrongly convinced themselves that they were not a “math person.” This realization has shaped my tutoring philosophy that by both relating concepts to everyday activities and providing lots of hands-on, guided practice (first with proverbial training wheels and then without), educators can help students strengthen their self-confidence. By enhancing their self-confidence and understanding of the underlying concepts governing how and why math is the way it is, I aim to help my students grow and achieve their full academic potential.

After a busy day, you’ll likely find me exercising, curled up with a good book and mug of hot chocolate, or experimenting in the kitchen.