My pursuit of a career in education stems from my desire to empower young people to reach their full potential and discover their love of learning. I love seeing students’ faces light up when they understand a concept for the first time and are able to connect their newfound understanding with their previous knowledge. I hope to help foster curiosity and passion for learning in my students, because I believe empowered young people are a critical hope for the future.

My first teaching experience was working as a teaching assistant for microbiology and tropical botany courses at a community college in Hawai’i. My passion for the crucial role plants and microorganisms play in maintaining life’s flow sparked my love of biology, which led me to pursue certifications in ethnopharmacognosy, plant biotechnology, and plant-food production and technology at the University of Hawai’i in Mānoa and a B.S. in Earth systems from Stanford University. I also received my master’s in education, and I am currently pursuing a California teaching credential in biology and foundational mathematics at Stanford.

I’ve always believed that relationships are critical in fostering authentic joy in learning. Through my experiences as a tutor, as a math teacher at a sustainability-focused public charter school, and as a high school biology student teacher, I’ve developed strategies for adjusting academic content to connect to my students’ personal interests while maintaining high academic rigor and expectations. My tutoring approach prioritizes the needs and interests of my students: I strive to amplify their academic strengths and nurture their growth points. I believe in teaching students critical thinking skills along with the content knowledge, as these are the skills that allow them to apply their knowledge and understanding to their future academic pursuits. I am also sensitive to learning differences and enjoy tailoring lessons to different modes of learning.

In my free time, I love to train dogs, sing and play the guitar, and surf.