Ross Rutherford

Biography

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved history and the social sciences. These are lenses through which to parse the greatest repository ever compiled of human nature. If you want to learn more about what’s possible – ways of living together, overcoming hardships, solving problems, even seeing the world – the lived experiences of those who came before us have an awful lot to offer.

After an academically intense upbringing, I entered college with a diffuse desire to engage in public service but little idea of the particulars. Over the course of four years and just as many majors, I realized that I could have the most to offer by leaning not into my strengths but my weaknesses. Studying Economics for Public Policy at Brown allowed me to fill out the robust quantitative skillset I needed in order to conduct effective policy analysis while building out my political science ‘soft skills’ on the job.

With AJ, I tutor students in A.P. US History and Macroeconomics. I also work full-time as an instructional assistant and individualized tutor in the public school system. I hope to cross-apply my insights from each job to become a better educator for all of my students. The number one thing I’ve taken away from my work in education and past experiences in student organization mentorship is that students generally know more than they think. The Socratic method catalyzes growth by allowing a student to leverage their existing knowledge base while engaging critically with the material.

Off the job, you can find me backpacking, reading or designing historical board games.

I know from personal experience that you can learn while very much still being a work in progress. There’s beauty in growth no matter where a student might feel they are right now or want to go next. I look forward to meeting with your family to see how best I can assist your learning journey.