Ava Ektefaie

My love of teaching began early on in high school when I began volunteering as a peer tutor at Mountain View High School. I tutored a number of subjects including algebra, French, and biology. This early experience taught me the power teaching and the importance of giving students a positive experience with learning as a whole.

After high school, I left the Bay Area for sunny Southern California where I majored in computational and systems biology and minored in Iranian studies at UCLA. By picking an interdisciplinary major, I was able to combine my interests in biology, math, and computation. Minoring in Iranian studies offered me an excellent opportunity to sharpen my Persian skills and develop a closer understanding of Persian literature.

It was amongst the hills of Westwood where my love for working with kids truly blossomed. In the summers I worked as a camp counselor for Camp Kesem, a camp that supports children who have caregivers impacted by cancer. In addition, I also worked as a visual arts teacher at a studio in Saratoga.

My teachers and mentors growing up helped nourish my love for math and science. In my work at AJ tutoring, I always strive to have a similar positive impact. I truly love tutoring both middle school curriculum and biology.

I understand what it is like to be a student and feel stress and anxiety when it comes to schoolwork.  I work closely with students to create tangible plans to address those types of feelings and set them up for success. I help support my students in both areas of strength and in and developing plans to address the areas where they need more support. I help students master the fundamentals and leverage their understanding to be able to solve any problem that comes their way.

In my free time I enjoy listening to music of all kinds. In college, working as the head of art and installations for the largest student run festival in the nation, Jazz Reggae Festival, allowed me to incorporate my love for music, visual arts, and community engagement. Art and music at large have been an amazing avenue for me to connect with people and grow into myself.