I was born and raised in Springfield, Missouri, and moved to California at the end of high school. Growing up, I was very intrigued by the world around me. I was constantly attempting to explain every phenomenon I saw. Once I got to school, this passion drove me straight to the sciences. I was finally able to explain phenomena I saw every day with reproducible data to back up my observations. It was no surprise that when I took my first chemistry class, I was hooked. I went on to pursue my undergraduate education at the University of California, San Diego, where I received my Bachelor’s of Science in chemistry. During college, I had many unbelievable professors that truly cared about students. I benefited from their dedication and enthusiasm, and I try to have a similar impact on my students.

I began tutoring during my last two years of college. I fell in love with turning the topics students felt were impossible into ones they could be excited about. The one-on-one style of tutoring is ideal as it allows me to tailor my explanations to each student and relate concepts to something they’ve experienced. I have found that a majority of students rely on simply memorizing the facts. As an instructor, I focus more on understanding the foundations that explain why a fact is true. Not only does the student remember it better, but they can also extrapolate to other ideas. This approach is especially important for tests like the SAT and ACT, where understanding the test and its processes is essential to success. In addition to coaching students on core strategies and concepts, also I try to bring in real-world examples and help students draw connections between ideas. I enjoy helping students gain confidence and achieve success on tests that often seem overwhelming.

In addition to science, tennis is a huge passion of mine. I started playing at seven years old and haven’t stopped since. Combining my love for the sport and my passion for teaching, I coached all throughout high school. I went on to play for the Division II team at UCSD, where I learned priceless time-management skills I can pass on to my students. When I am not tutoring, I also love singing in my a cappella group and hanging out with friends and family.