Biography

Coming from a family of teachers, I grew up dreaming of the day I could lead my own class. During elementary school, I would curate math worksheets for my parents and teach drawing classes to my younger brother. In middle school, I volunteered as a teacher assistant for summer programs at my mom’s work, and during high school, I pursued the Teaching Academy program. I loved everything about teaching and couldn’t wait to follow in my mom’s footsteps.

I attended UC Santa Barbara, where I graduated with a major in communication, a minor in multimedia writing, and a certificate in technology management. Though I pursued a career in UX design, I was determined to continue to pursue teaching.

I have always loved working with K-8 students, as their contagious energy, endless creativity, and unique resilience inspire me to continually find new ways to teach and help them succeed in their own ways. The early years of education are crucial in building the right skills and mindset, and I hope to foster a lifetime love of learning for students in the same way that my teachers did for me. I especially love teaching algebra because of its countless applications in our daily lives.

My teaching experiences span working as an assistant for robotics and art summer programs during middle school, teaching in an elementary school for a six-month-long internship as part of the Teaching Academy, and serving as a teacher assistant for a summer enrichment program. In my internship, I led class projects and worked with students in small groups to strengthen their reading and writing skills, and as an assistant, I evaluated students’ progress and tutored students individually and in small groups. In addition to my work with AJ Tutoring, I also work as a project manager for SB Creative Lab, where I mentor junior designers through the design thinking process. Through these experiences, I have learned that there is no one-size-fits-all method to teaching and that it is essential to truly understand students’ needs in order to help them succeed. 

I know how daunting it can be when faced with a challenging subject and feeling too intimidated to ask for help. I hope to help students feel empowered and succeed in their own ways by creating a safe environment to ask questions and explore ideas. Learning is a non-linear process, and I aim to encourage collaboration and creativity to achieve rewarding results.

When I’m not tutoring, I enjoy designing on Figma, watching sci-fi movies, and exploring new food spots with friends.