I am an East Bay native, and I attended the University of California, Santa Cruz, where I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in physics, specializing in astrophysics. I held my first job as a tutor at Diablo Valley College before attending UCSC, but acquiring knowledge and lighting the way for others has always been innate in me. When I was eight years old, my grandmother asked me if I could help her learn English. I was so proud of her when she read the entire first page of the newspaper to me, and the feeling I got helping her learn English was indescribable. I knew at that moment I wanted to help others learn.
During college, tutoring and helping my classmates understand some of the most difficult concepts in physics and math was immeasurably rewarding. I was lucky to have brilliant faculty members who helped and mentored students, never letting anyone feel less. The teaching assistants at UCSC were not only great at teaching the material, but were also compassionate and eager to help. The support I received from both faculty and teaching assistants impressed on me the importance of one-on-one attention and tailored support, and my experiences tutoring taught me to be flexible and compassionate.
My main goal as a tutor is to help my students succeed by customizing my approach to their unique learning style. In this way, I can help students take advantage of their own strengths and shore up their understanding in the areas in which they struggle. I find that being able to recognize the pieces that build up the current topic really help students develop a deeper understanding, so I work to build their foundational knowledge and help them see the connections between everything they are learning.
In my free time I enjoy reading books, writing poetry, creating art, playing video games, and taking my telescope out to fathom the mysteries of the cosmos.