Rehan Saber

My interest in education and tutoring stems from a deep sense of gratitude. Having emigrated as a child from a country in the midst of civil war, I feel fortunate to have had access to education. For me, teaching is a fundamental responsibility that comes with this privilege.

My journey as a tutor began in my childhood, where I would help classmates with their course materials. As I grew older, I became more passionate about the teaching process. At Valley Christian High School, I was hired as an afterschool tutor during my freshman year. Later, at the age of 18, I became an instructor for Algebra, Algebra II, and AP Calculus AB classes.

I attended Cornell University, where I earned a Bachelor of Science in biology. I then pursued graduate-level courses and research at Mayo Clinic, where I studied the metabolic profile of glioblastomas and the senescent profile of the post-irradiated brain. During this time, I founded Smart Cooking, a nutrition-based cooking program that focuses on developing nutritional knowledge and improving executive functioning, sensory motor, and culinary skills.

My philosophy as a tutor is that knowledge is like a tree. Without a strong trunk, branches will fail to thrive. Access to strong fundamentals allows students to build strong understandings of advanced concepts. In my position as a tutor, I find the 1-on-1 format valuable for diagnosing my student’s current level of understanding: where are they coming from, what do they already know, and what do I have to teach them so they truly understand the course material? Knowing the answers to these questions allows me to provide students with the foundation they require. 

I utilize a very student-centered approach. My goal is to help the student, not just the grade. Accordingly, I strongly believe in the importance of true understanding, rather than pure memorization for the purposes of an exam. I foster this resilient understanding in each unique student by empowering them to use their existing knowledge and understanding. Ultimately, I want my students to develop increased autonomy over their education and decreased dependence on outside systems.

When I’m not tutoring, I’m building and expanding Smart Cooking’s programming, making recipe content videos for social media, reading books on developmental psychology, and learning more about the best strategies to help children grow into happy and successful adults.